Respected principal, teachers and my dear friends I ask all of you to close your eyes for a minute and imagine yourselves in the ICU of a hospital. Is it a nice feeling? I’m sure that all of you will reply in the negative. Friends, just imagine how much more unpleasant the reality would be if we were to actually lie in the ICU of a hospital. The thin line of difference between imagination and reality will vanish if we don’t care for road safety. Safety on the road is possible only if we follow traffic rules. The strange truth about traffic rules is that we need to be fined to take care of our own lives.

Take for example the seat belt rule. So many of us start pulling the seat belt on sighting a cop at a distance. Same is true of helmets. We jump traffic lights at points where there is no policeman. So many of us overtake others from the wrong side. We drive like lunatics even where the speed limit is supposed to be below 40 kms. an hour. We speak on the mobile phone while driving and worse still while riding a two wheeler as though there is an emergency.

Friends, let us remember that all traffic rules are chalked out with great care to save lives and avoid other tragic happenings like physical disabilities, loss of money etc. The traffic rules are simple rules that can be easily followed. When we violate these rules, we put to danger not only our lives, but also the lives of other innocent people.

Today we are celebrating ‘Road Safety Week’. Let us pledge today, as responsible citizens of India, that we would never break any traffic rule even when there is no fear of being fined. Thank you.