This retired policeman drives home road safety message

Sivaji has covered 7,000 km in 48 days in his 100 cc bike

October 04, 2015 09:34 am | Updated 09:34 am IST - CHENNAI:

N Sivaji, retired sub inspector who is on a road trip for road safety awareness.

N Sivaji, retired sub inspector who is on a road trip for road safety awareness.

Usually after retirement, policemen prefer a peaceful life rather than going on missions. But 61-year-old N. Sivaji is different. His self-appointed task is to create road safety awareness among motorists. The retired police officer, who is on a road trip, has covered over 7,000 kilometers within the State in 48 days spreading message on driving carefully.

He is usually spotted, dressed in a green shirt and white pant, standing stylishly next to a 100 cc bike fitted with a big box affixed with pictures of common road safety violations and tips to avoid them. The bike is also fitted with a microphone and he plays messages on road safety after stopping his bike in public places.

“A few years ago I met with an accident and had a head injury. It affected my hearing. Doctors said it is a dangerous operation, so I decided to create awareness about road safety among all road users so that no one meets with accidents,” says the retired Special Sub-Inspector from Karur.

He started his trip on August 15 from Karur. “I have covered 31 districts. Everywhere the policemen help me with petrol and food. Riding is a big difficult with my hearing problem, but I manage to check vehicles behind me using the rear view mirror,” adds Sivaji.

“I don’t ride at night. I usually try to cover 100 km every day. I have seen accidents that were caused because traffic rules were flouted and I want the younger generation to be safe,” he says.

Sivaji has gone on a road trip earlier too – once after the bomb blasts in Coimbatore and on March 9, 1994, he cycled from Karur to Chennai in 14 hours and met Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. “This time too I want to meet her,” he adds before stretching his legs.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.