Vijayawada: With a view to improving the road culture in the district, the Krishna district transport department has taken up a massive education program on traffic dos and don’ts. As of now, 20,526 students from90 schools have been given training on road safety concepts.The transport department has joined hands with Voluntary Health, Education and Economic Development Unit (VHEEDU), an NGO working on road safety, for this initiative. “The aim behind the programme is to bring sustainable change in society by developing the correct road culture in the younger generations,” said E Meera Prasad, the deputy transport commissioner (DTC) of Krishna district. “We see two advantages in this approach,” he observed, “We are training the next generation drivers and making them aware of the rules and also the ill effects of violating them.”As part of the programme, VHEEDU experts explain to the students about compulsory traffic rules that are to be followed for their own safety as well as the fellow commuters’.Though this approach appears to be slow in bringing visible change, transport officials believe that when the younger generation finally begins driving they will exercise more caution and discipline that the ones taking to driving now.“A learned driver will make fewer mistakes than an ignorant driver,” he added. Another perceived advantage of teaching students is children have the power to influence the driving decisions of their parents and other relatives. In fact, the officials believe children have more influencing power than the enforcement agencies.“People tend to take it lightly when they are penalised for not wearing seat belts and helmets but they care for their loved ones. So we are sensitising the parents as well,” said Meera Prasad.M Vasu, founder of VHEEDU, who has been working on road safety issues for the past 15 years, observed that kids are the best messengers of change. “It is always difficult to change the preconceived notions and mind sets, and hence we chose to create change with the students by making them understand the road safety process,” he said. To make it sustainable we are not limiting to just one or two special classes, but building teams in the name of ‘safety champs’ who will go to communities to propagate the message, he added.

Stay updated with all the Latest Vijayawada headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.