In unique initiative to curb accidents, school children give candies to traffic violators

In a “sweet” approach to make people follow traffic norms, school children in Howrah were found giving candies to traffic rules violators while trying to make them realise the risks of rash and reckless driving.

Children from many schools are taking part in the one Road Safety Week from January 11 to 15 organised by the Howrah City Police. The initiative to engage school children in making people understand the need of following traffic norms was taken considering that everyone will be patient with the children.

Some students of a private English medium school at Liluah in Howrah were found standing at one of the busiest intersections in the area with placards in their hands. The placards contain the “Safe Drive Save Life” message. They were found approaching people as and when they found someone riding two wheelers without wearing helmet. When some of the students were “educating” the person about the hazards of riding motorbike without helmet, one among them was found approaching the same person with some candies. While offering the candies, the students humbly asked the person to ensure that he wears a helmet whenever he rides the motorbike.

Six big schools are situated in and around the area where the children were campaigning on Wednesday morning. They found many parents bringing the children on motorbike. Neither the parents were wearing helmet nor had they put on a helmet on the head of their child. Thus the school children approached such people and requested them not to put the lives of their family at risk.

According to a police officer present at the spot, there are three aspects of checking road accidents – enforcing, educating and engineering. “We enforce the law by booking traffic violators under relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act and necessary work like setting up sign boards along road is done as the engineering part for road safety. At the same time, school goers are engaged to create awareness and we organise awareness camps in schools,” he said.

A senior police officer said that awareness campaign has been undertaken in schools as a part of the road safety week and campaigns for drivers were also organised. The final programme of the road safety week will take place at Sarat Sadan on January 15.