On the morning of December 30, 2022, bone-chilling footage flashed across television screens and on social media platforms that showed cricketer Rishabh Pant's swanky car hitting the divider at jet speed. While the Indian wicketkeeper and batsman miraculously survived the accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway, his vehicle caught fire, and he had to break the car windscreen to escape. Unfortunately, such deadly road traffic accidents have been alarmingly high in recent times and are the biggest reason for fatalities in our country. 

Approximately 400 lives are lost daily, and as per 2022 statistics, India ranks first in road accident fatalities and number three in persons getting injured in road mishaps. To save millions of lives that are endangered worldwide as road safety continues to be a significant concern, National Road Safety Week is celebrated from January 11 to 17 of every year to raise awareness to prevent death and injuries worldwide. The primary purpose of this campaign is to emphasize and educate people about the importance of road safety rules.

Also Read: Road Accidents In India: Prevention Is The Key To Save Many Lives

Amongst multiple road accidents happening every day, most of them can be prevented with timely rescue and intervention, besides being aware of the primary road and traffic rules employed to curb such events. To reduce these numbers, many amendments have been made to The Motor Vehicles Act of 1988, and the process of obtaining documents has been automated. The driver must have all the legal documents required to drive in the country. A valid driving license, vehicle registration certificate, vehicle insurance, and pollution control certificate are some of the mandatory ones. Heavy motor vehicle fines on the violators are imposed to reduce traffic rule violations. To reduce overspeeding incidents, speed detection devices are being used to measure the speed at which a vehicle travels. If the speed exceeds the prescribed limit, the driver is booked for exceeding it, and they have to pay a hefty fine.

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Road safety officials constantly educate people about important safety measures and dos and don'ts to avoid road accidents. Here are the essential road safety rules every driver and pedestrian must adhere to:

• When behind wheels, always follow the red, green, and yellow light signals installed at crossroads, intersections, and zebra crossings
• Stay to your left while walking, using a vehicle, or taking a turn. If you take a turn from the right (which is the wrong side as per Indian road rules), the cars coming from the right will misinterpret your move, thus causing chances of collision. Also, you must avoid overtaking another car by changing lanes in heavy traffic
• Use hand gestures and signals to communicate with vehicles and people on the road. Besides preventing accidents, they play an essential role when you are driving in a no-honking zone
• Mobile phones are one of the biggest driving distractions and can be extremely dangerous. As per the traffic safety rules, you must avoid using mobile phones while driving or riding and even when walking on a busy road
• Driving or riding a vehicle when intoxicated is a punishable offense and the strictest among all road safety rules across the globe. Alcohol impairs the brain's cognitive abilities and results in a loss of control over your body movements. Besides heavy fines for offenders, this traffic rule violation calls for imprisonment
• Wear necessary safety gear as a road safety precaution. A four-wheeler driver must wear a seat belt, and a two-wheeler rider must wear a helmet to protect against accidental injuries. Safety gear rules also apply to the car's front passenger and pillion rider on a motorbike
• Following the speed limit rules while driving is very important to save your life and the lives of pedestrians and prevent accidents
• Give way to emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire brigades to save lives
• Driving requires total attention. If you are struggling with a health issue, you should get permission from a health practitioner before getting in the driving seat