Transport department conducts workshop on road safety

Dimapur, May 1 (EMN): As part of the National Road Safety week, the Regional Transport Office, Kohima, Transport department conducted a workshop on “Road Safety-Life Safety” (Sadak Suraksha-Jeevan Raksha) on April 30 at Capital Convention Centre in Kohima.
Speaking at the programme, Extra Assistant Commissioner Changsang said ‘Naga communities are so laid back in following rules and regulations that we don’t care using cell phone and drinking while driving, we take things lightly which leads to road accidents more often.’
He apprised the gathering to follow ‘keep left’ rule while driving. He said that such workshops are needed to educate the general public on road safety measures, traffic signals and signs before accidents occur.
EAC opined that even in schools, a curriculum text should be make mandatory so that the younger generation is exposed to principles, rules and regulations of the government on road safety.
Lamenting over ignoring road safety rules, he said the issue needs to be pondered and take it seriously. Some people violate traffic rules due to ignorance, so one need to be educated. However, he added that most educated persons tend to ignore the traffic rules and regulations.
“Instead of blaming the uneducated or the general public pedestrians, we the educated should change the mindset in order to bring about road safety concept and integrate it into our society,” Changsang asserted.
He urged all to take initiative as a responsible citizen to contribute in small ways in educating and spreading road safety awareness and relevant matters of safety and security to friends, family, fellow passengers.
Sr. district transport officer of Kohima, Yaongsanglee Chang said accidents in India causes 17 deaths every hour which means 408 every day, and 1,48,920 deaths in a year. According to the record of 2016, he informed that there were 736 deaths, with 501 injuries and 59 fatality and as of 2017, 696 accidents occurred with a decline of 5.5 but 6% increase in the number of deaths at 63.
He pointed out that road safety is the most neglected subject as though everyone is immune from road accidents. Each one of us never realize that once we are on the wheels of a car we are responsible for our own lives, lives of the passengers of vehicle, hundreds of pedestrians that we come across in due course of journey, lives in other vehicles too, he said.
“The value of forgiveness is very dear to all of us but it does not serve the purpose of road safety. If the erring-vehicle drivers are not brought to the book, they do not learn the lessons for their negligence and rash driving and the entire purpose of having the Motor Vehicle Act and Rules, enforcement agencies, road safety awareness campaign is defeated,” the officer said.
He also mentioned that with vast improvement in technology of vehicles, most accidents these days are caused by human errors.
Deputy SP Traffic, Kohima, Philip Yanthan, in a power point presentation on traffic management in Kohima town, pointed out that ‘everyone is responsible if the road management are not set up well and laws are not followed.’
Everyone use smart phones but does not care to learn about the rules of traffic and civic sense.
Kohima falls under ‘smart city’ and it is the responsibility of the citizens to make it smart by following the rules and taking initiatives in spreading road safety awareness, he asserted.