The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : The road to safe travel paved with self-discipline and sense of caution

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Wednesday, Feb 04, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

The road to safe travel paved with self-discipline and sense of caution

Staff Reporter

— PHOTO: M.VEDHAN

WELL DONE: Transport Commissioner S.Machendranathan interacts with student winners of an oratorical competition conducted by St.John Ambulance for their role in improving road safety awareness, in Chennai on Monday.

CHENNAI: “Almost 30 to 40 persons are killed in road accidents every day in Tamil Nadu,” Transport Commissioner S. Machendranathan said at a seminar on road safety organised here on Monday by St. John Ambulance.

As a preventive measure, the government was improving road infrastructure and posting more traffic constables in busy junctions to ease the flow of traffic, he said.

Mr. Machendranathan gave away awards to over 40 students from various schools and colleges who had emerged winners in an oratorical competition on road safety conducted by St. John Ambulance. He appreciated the road safety awareness programmes of the ambulance service which helped reduce the number of accidents.

“Self-discipline on the part of road-users is crucial for making roads safer places for everyone,” said Sooraj Viswanathan, a student of the School of Excellence in Law, Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University who won the Silver Rolling Trophy in the competition along with P. Rajeswari.

Another winner A. Joshua said he was a member of his school’s road safety patrol. The Standard XI student of Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School, Chetpet, had actively participated in a recent drive to restrict unauthorised parking in front of the school premises with the help of the traffic police.

Speed breakers dangerous

Road safety activist T. S. Viswanathan appealed to the Commissioner to ensure all speed breakers had reflectors. “Several two-wheeler riders have met with accidents in the night because they could not view the speed breaker ahead of them,” he said.

The dangers posed by trucks carrying long rods jutting out of their back were also raised at the meeting. “Such lorries must display warning messages for the benefit of those coming behind,” Mr. Viswanathan said. He also spoke about the need to educate drivers to be considerate to other road-users and not indulge in rash driving.

St. John Ambulance Vice-Chairman N. Sugalchand Jain appreciated the public in Tamil Nadu for being more forthcoming in helping road accident victims than anywhere else in the country.

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