He whistles to make way for ambulances rushing patients to hospitals through bumper-to-bumper traffic, making a differ ence between life and death.Meet software engineer Kalyanaraman Venkatesan. He has taken it upon himself to spread awareness about the importance of clearing the way for ambulances.
However, the awareness
about it is poor. Good Samaritan
are the people who help accident
victims. “Mass media
tools, including television and
radio, should be used to spread
awareness about these directives, road
safety adviser Kalyanaraman
Venkatesan said.
Founder of the NGO Mission Safer Roads, Kalyanaraman Venkatesan too shared similar views. He said, "Through our NGO we have been reaching out to the youngsters and making them realise that once they have a serious head injury little can be done to reverse the effects completely.
Education and enforcement must go hand in hand to effect real change, said Kalyanaraman Venkatesan, a citybased
road safety expert who has conducted more than 50 such sessions across the city
Across town, Warje resident Kalyanaraman Venkatesan was so moved by the accident his cousin Shrinivas Balasubramanian suffered on his two wheeler three years ago in Mumbai, that he now conducts lectures for schools, colleges and corporates to educate them about helmets and their correct use.
Sharing his observations on conducting awareness sessions among college students and corporate employees
about use of helmets, city-based road safety expert Kalyanaraman Venkatesan says, “Most people are
clueless about the correct selection and use of helmets. Many come back with lots of questions. I always insist
on using only branded varieties of helmets.“
Kalyanaraman Venkatesan, who has been promoting helmets among college students and corporates, expressed hope that the rule would bring much-needed change in people's perception. "Execution may be difficult in the beginning. But if seriously enforced, people will understand that there is no better option.
Hailing the initiative of the three girls, city-based activist Kalyanaraman Venkatesan said, "Not many people know about the new standard operating procedures (SOP) to protect good samaritans, who save accident victims. Everyone thinks the other person will do it and very few stop to help. Most fear that they will become victims of a cycle of harassment.
If you spot a Royal Enfield motorcycle in Pune with a board stating “ALWAYS GIVE WAY TO AMBULANCE. EMPATHIZE, SOMEDAY IT COULD BE YOU”, then it is of Kalyanaraman Venkatesan.