Awareness programmes and a health check up for autorickshaw and taxi drivers marked the inaugural of the Road Safety Week observance in the city on Sunday. The theme for this year is “Safety is not just a slogan, it’s a way of life.”
It began with the inaugural of a road safety awareness exhibition near the Central Bus Stand at Gandhipuram by Mayor P. Rajkumar. Corporation Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan flagged off a road safety awareness campaign vehicle.
District Collector Archana Patnaik flagged off an awareness rally from the bus stand. Close to 300 persons including school students, owners of driving schools, Transport Department personnel and autorickshaw drivers participated in it.
The rally concluded at the Regional Transport Office (Central).
Joint Transport Commissioner P. Muruganantham and Regional Transport Officers S. Munusamy (Central), P. Mani (East), N. Karthikeyan (North and Mettupalayam) and Jaganathan (Pollachi) were present.
More than 350 autorickshaw and call taxi drivers and a few police personnel were screened in the health check up organised by the City Traffic Police.
It was organised by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and a private hospital, on the IMA premises.
Tips to drivers
IMA president V. Shanmugasundaram and IMA office-bearers spoke about road safety and gave tips to drivers on protecting themselves and ensuring safety of commuters, the importance of wearing seat belts and helmets and to avoid using mobile phones, and drunken driving.
The driver participants and the police also learnt more about first aid to be given to victims in the golden hour and how the ailing persons could be shifted to hospitals in a safe manner.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), T.K. Rajasekaran, spoke on safety measures to be followed by drivers.
Transport authorities have planned to conduct the drive in two spells from January 11 to 13 and from January 18 to 21.
However, the City Traffic Police will observe it from January 11 to 17.
Celebrations in the next few days include cultural events by students and rewards for persons who obey traffic rules properly.
