40 percent of fatal accident victims in Kolkata over the past five years have been pedestrians, according to data released by the police.
In response to this alarming statistic, Kolkata Police (KP) launched an awareness initiative targeting school students to promote road and pedestrian safety.
The police officials organized quizzes at three locations—Traffic Training School at Park Circus, Howrah Guard, and Behala Chowrasta—with participation from over 200 students across seven city schools.
The initiative was meant to encourage students to engage with their parents and commercial drivers about road safety, reported the Times of India.
“Children can change the mindset of their parents. Only when we reach out to the children can we bring about a positive change in the long run,” said a police officer.
The students, through these events, got to know road safety extends beyond wearing helmets and using zebra crossings.
Saptak Das, a student from Behala, said: “When I asked an app cab driver which indicator to use when carrying a patient, he said he would just honk. Similarly, a pedestrian admitted he never noticed that traffic signals apply to walkers too.”
The police also sought feedback from the students to make key intersections more pedestrian-friendly, especially near schools. Areas identified for improvements include Cossipore Road, Bagbazar Street, Harlal Maitra Road, Biren Roy Road West, and Becharam Chatterjee Street.
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