The NSS Unit of Marri Laxman Reddy Institute of Technology (MLRIT), in association with TRAX NGO, and ICICI Lombard General Insurance, launched a helmet drive in various government schools and distributed free helmets to students and their parents.
ADVERTISEMENT
This was part of creating awareness about road safety through the ‘Ride to safety campaign’ launched by MLRIT among the student community. Launching the programme, MLRIT Secretary Rajashekhar Reddy said he has distributed 2,556 helmets to students and their parents free of cost in different government institutions located in West Marredpally, Mudford, Tirumalagiri, Picket and Secunderabad.
He said the helmet drive was conducted at government schools as most of the students and their parents cannot afford to buy them, and neither are they fully aware of road safety measures. In Telangana, he said, road accidents in 2021 under Cyberabad commissionerate went up by 18% as compared to 2020.
In 2021, a total of 19,248 road accident cases were registered and 6,690 deaths reported, he said adding that police authorities have found that among the dead, 82% were not wearing helmets.
Mr Reddy, who is also the TRS in-charge for Malkajgiri Parliamentary constituency, said he took the initiative after one of his drivers was severely injured in an accident because he was not wearing a helmet. Youngsters, he said, indulge in rash driving and wearing a helmet will reduce injuries in case of an accident.