Maharashtra: 40% of school vehicles driven rashly, reveals student survey – Times of India
In Mumbai and Pune, 45% and 34% of the respondents reported the same, respectively. This was the finding of ‘National Study on Safe Commute to School’, a research report by SaveLIFE Foundation and Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India released on Thursday.
Asked if the school holds any workshops for road safety education, 73% of respondents in Mumbai reported that either no such workshops were conducted, or were unaware of whether such workshops were conducted.
It also emerged that across India, a worrying 30% of children witnessed a crash during their commute to school, while 6% of them were themselves involved in a road crash or a near-miss situation during their commute to and from school.
When asked about the driver’s road user behaviour, nationally, about 23% of the parents and 26% of the children using privately arranged vehicles claimed that the child complained about “rash driving” by the driver. About 32% of the parents and 52% of the children in Mumbai, and 23% of the parents and 14% of the children in Pune reported the same.
As for school buses, in Mumbai, over a third (40%) of the respondents reported that the child/they sometimes or mostly complain of rash driving by the driver of the school-affiliated vehicle.
When it comes to usage of safety devices among self/ family-driven transport users, nationally, 34% of the respondents admitted that they never ensure that all passengers are using a headgear/helmet. Further, 20% of the respondents that use private cars admitted that all passengers (including children) don’t wear seat belts.
In Mumbai, 14% of the respondents overall (12% parents and 16% children) claimed that it is never ensured that all passengers wear a helmet. Further, 12% of the respondents reported that they never wear seat belts during their commute. In Pune, 32% of respondents overall (37% parents and 27% children) claimed that it isnever ensured that all passengers wear a helmet. Further, 26% of the respondents reported that they never wear seat belts during their commute.
The study, which also focused on safety of children at the school zone revealed that nationally, close to half of the respondents reported that there was no cycling track present at the school zone, and 30% of respondents reported absence of footpaths at the school zone.
In Mumbai, 25% respondents claimed that there were no cycling paths across the school zone, and 29% reported the absence of footpaths.
SaveLIFE Foundation Founder & CEO, Piyush Tewari, said, “As of date, over 25 states and Union Territories have announced the reopening of schools. While there is a vaccine for COVID, the vaccine for child deaths on our roads is really our collective action.”
Manu Saale, Managing Director and CEO, MBRDI. “The findings from this study show unequivocally the raising need for road safety in the country. We hope that this study will help all stakeholders further extend our vision of zero casualties to all modes of road transport.”
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