I happened to be a part of a book launch function and was shocked to know that in India, none of the authorities had ever released a traffic rules handbook..!!
What an irresponsible thing to do…and amazingly none of them even considered or bothered about thinking of such a thing.
Who did it then?
ArriveSAFE did..!!
Started by Harman Singh Sidhu, this is a one of its kind NGO which just does not have a ‘Donate Here’ button.
When asked as to why he started it, here’s what he said: “My harrowing personal experience of a road crash in October 1996 and living in constant pain since then lead me to start this NGO. The sudden emptiness and a strong fear that the same doesn’t happen to anyone else forced me to think about road safety. I chanced upon a meeting with my mentor Amitabh Dhillon, whose motivation is a great driving force.”
ArriveSAFE is a Registered Society under Act XXI of 1860 which developed a comprehensive handbook on the Traffic Rules in India that address all classes of road users.
This Road Safety Manual explains rules of the road in an easy to understand manner. It is very illustrative therefore easy to understand for all the segments of our Indian society. Presently, it is released in English but it would soon be available in Hindi and Punjabi.
This handbook would work as a guide for:
- Educating the road users about safe driving practices
- Guiding the new driving licence seekers about the required procedures
- Developing a testing tool to check the knowledge level of the road users
This 196-page manual contains Road Safety Code, a set of rules for guiding and regulating the conduct of different classes of road users (drivers of motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians) on roads and in road-related areas (footpaths and parking area) to ensure order and improve safety. The rules include the knowledge of road signs, markings and signals.
Here’s a salute to this brave man who swears by his parents’ support and confesses that if it was not due to them, then nothing of this sort could have ever been possible.
Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Rajan Gupta, released book ‘Road Safety Manual – Your Guide to Driving Safe’ .The Guest of Honour on the occasion was Dinkar Gupta, IPS, Additional Director General of Police, Punjab.
The Chief Guest, Justice Rajan Gupta said the book enlightens us with the importance of abiding by traffic rules, adding that with Indian roads becoming dangerous, this book would serve as a ready reckoner for all of us driving. ADGP Gupta congratulated Harman Sidhu for this valuable work, stressing on the need to abide by road safety rules for the sake of our loved ones.