Bangalore, January 23, 2020: India accounts for 12 per cent of the world’s road deaths. In 2018 alone, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that almost 300,000 people died due to road accidents in the country. This number remains astonishingly high in comparison to other countries where the use of motor vehicles is much higher. The impact of human life loss is enormous, especially on the economy. A World Bank study has found that if India successfully reduces half of the road deaths and injuries between 2014 and 2038, it could add 14 per cent to its GDP per capita. Unfortunately, the unprivileged are drastically affected by the after the impact of vehicular accidents. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, usually hailing from the low and middle-income strata, account for more than 50 per cent of the road traffic deaths in India. Road accidents affect people’s lives and often drive them to poverty. Awareness of road accidents should be a multi-sectoral effort that involves law enforcement, governance, (the issue of driving licenses and vehicle registration), engineering (appropriate road design) and post-accident trauma care and management.
On the occasion of the 31st Road Safety Awareness Week aligned with the UN mandate, the Government conducted a road safety awareness campaign in India seeking support from all its citizens and big businesses. The motto this year was “Bringing Change Through Youth Power.” Embassy Services Pvt. Ltd. (ESPL), a leading IFM company, organised a week-long road safety awareness programme communicating safety messages through collateral and across all their office parks. They marked the final day on January 22, in Manyata Business Park amphitheatre, Bangalore, with a bike rally and by inviting the Traffic Police on board to help and educate every road traveller with their safety awareness presentations. ESPL is strongly instrumental in supporting corporates to fulfil their responsibility for society at large and constantly taking initiatives to make the world a better place.