#Saferroadsforgurugram: Know Safety, No Accidents!

• Aligns with Haryana government’s Vision Zero initiative, #SaferRoadsForGurugram aims to strengthen the response towards road safety in the city
• AB InBev along with the Government of Haryana and UNITAR worked on a baseline study to understand the road safety scenario in Haryana with a focus on Gurugram
• Activations like a Wall of Safety, Flash Mob, Nukkad Natak and Free Eye Check-up camps for drivers were conducted across key locations in the city
• The initiative was supported by more than 8000 participants who came together for the entire cause and also reached out to more than 2,50,000 people in the city

Gurugram, May 11, 2018:  #SaferRoads For Gurugram today announced the successful completion of multiple activations for Gurugrammers during the National Road Safety Week that spreads the message of road safety. With a vision to improve road safety and reduce road traffic fatalities in the city of Gurugram, AB InBev along with Transport Department of Haryana, Traffic Police Gurugram, United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR), Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), Indian Road Safety Campaign (IRSC), Safe Round Foundation (SRF), DLF Foundation, Ola Cabs, Apollo Tyres and with representatives from All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) collaborated to steer the #SaferRoads For Gurugram program in the city.

With an aim to assist the local authorities with technical interventions, #SaferRoadsForGurugram collaborated with the Government of Haryana to work on a baseline study and understand the road safety scenario in Gurugram. We have noted that in the last five years, the numbers of accidents in Haryana have increased by 11%, while the fatalities increased by 13%.

Commenting on the initiative, Ben Verhaert, President – India, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), said, “I am delighted with the engagement levels and positive response we received from the citizens of Gurugram during the Road Safety Week and would like to congratulate our partners along with the local authorities to steer this program across the city. #SaferRoadsForGurugram is a monumental first step towards ensuring safer roads for the people in the city. We are a major user of the roads and want to ensure that our roads are safe for our employees and their families, drivers in our fleet, consumers and the communities we live and work. We are committed to conducting such events in the city to increase awareness amongst the public about the perils of not following traffic and road safety considerations. We are confident the report on Blackspots and Accident-prone zones will have positive and real-time impact on reducing road fatalities in the city.”

Based on the analysis, diagnosis reports are being prepared for each such blackspots and accident-prone zones for the city of Gurugram. In order to assist the team to learn from global success stories, other cultural and legislative aspects are also being considered and benchmarked against global practices.

The Transport Commissioner Haryana, Vikas Gupta added, “We adopted the Haryana Vision Zero campaign in an effort to reduce and prevent road fatalities. We are continuing to collaborate with the team of Safer Roads for Gurugram, with the aim of implementing innovative solutions that will have a lasting impact on road safety.”

To increase awareness amongst the citizens, activations including a Wall of Safety, Flash Mobs, Nukkad Natak and Free Eye Check-up camps for both truck and commercial drivers were conducted. Specific message to masses and road users support activities was conducted along with the Traffic Police, at the four main intersections of Gurugram : Subhash Chowk, Huda City Centre Chowk, Shankar Chowk – Cyber City & Subhash Chowk – Sohna Road, managed to reach out to more than 68,000 people during peak hours of the day – morning and evening.

Prof. (Dr.) Ravinder, Director, Central Road Research Institute, (a national laboratory of CSIR on Road Research) congratulated the partners and said, “Road accidents accounted for about 481 deaths in Gurugram last year. Under the Safer Roads for Gurugram initiative, we are working on a road safety audit at pre-identified blackspots and accident-prone zones in the city. The audit will additionally help us in identifying and recommending technical interventions that will enhance safety for commuters and pedestrians by reducing the number of road accident cases in the city.”

To reach out to the driving communities; training sessions and eye check-up camps were conducted with both truckers and commercial drivers. Through these eye checkup camps,500+ drivers were scanned in this week, and were provided reading or prescription glasses for an immediate resolution to their eye-sight needs.

AIIMS Representative from Trauma Care, Sushma Sagar – “The first few minutes after an accident are crucial for a person in trauma and the initial care provided can help saving a life. We believe it is imperative to provide first responder training and post-accident care to the people, especially the youth so that they are equipped with the necessary training and are sensitized about the reality of road accidents. We are happy to collaborate with AB InBev and the #SaferRoads for Gurugram initiative and provide the necessary skill and training.”

AB InBev and UNITAR have also joined forces to implement a global public awareness initiative on road safety and build capacity with local governments and partners. Together this public private partnership is a first of its kind initiative in its ambition to significantly tackle road safety and ultimately, save lives. Activities will include conferences, training workshops, and targeted interventions in countries with the highest death rates due to road traffic. AB InBev and UNITAR are committed to saving lives by building awareness, harnessing data and technology, promoting education, training, and implementing evidence-based road safety interventions across target countries worldwide. We look forward to stemming the tide on this critical issue.

Commenting on this initiative, Col. Prakash Tewari from DLF Foundation said, “Over 1 lakh 50 thousand people die every year in road accidents. The need of the hour is to address this issue in a holistic manner through collaborative efforts by multiple stakeholders. Road Safety is a quintessential part of DLF Foundations vision to make Gurugram a sustainable city. This initiative will go a long way in inculcating awareness amongst Gurugrammers on the issue of road safety.”

The Working Group (representatives from partner organisations) for #SaferRoadsForGurugram is committed to making roads safer through smarter collaborations, by building awareness, harnessing data and technology, promoting education and training, and implementing evidence-based road safety interventions in the city of Gurugram, Haryana.

Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)