The focus is on basic yet important traffic rules, integral for our safety: Bharatendu Kabi 

Lakhs of lives are lost to road accidents every year. In order to ensure a better road safety in the future and raise public awareness about the importance of following strict road safety rules, Hero MotoCorp, in collaboration with Hindustan Times, launched the third edition (first two editions were in 2019 and 2020 respectively) of the campaign ‘Be a Road Hero 3.0’ in 2022. This falls under Hero MotoCorp’s CSR initiative called ‘Hero We Care.’ As part of this campaign, lakhs of Indians, including students, took the Road Hero pledge, making it a massive success. This pledge consists of 5 crucial dos and don’ts. They are: wearing seatbelts while riding a four-wheeler and helmets in two-wheelers; following lane driving and ignoring over-speeding; helping road accident victims by being good Samaritans; never texting or talking on phones while crossing the road; and always abiding by traffic rules. Sharing his thoughts on the campaign, Bharatendu Kabi, Head of Corporate Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility of Hero MotoCorp, details out how the initiative strives to make roads safer not only for vehicle occupants but also pedestrians.  

'Be A Road Hero' is part of a CSR initiative of Hero MotoCorp. Tell us a little bit about the inception of the initiative. 
As the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, road safety is a cause close to our hearts. Under the company’s umbrella CSR platform, ‘Hero We Care’, we are committed towards inculcating self-discipline among road users through road safety training programs, awareness sessions and safe riding habits. We have six well-equipped traffic-training parks across Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Nagpur, and we have sensitized nearly 7.68 lakh citizens till date at these centers.   

The #BeARoadHero Campaign, first conceptualized in 2018, is an extension of this commitment towards making the roads safer for both vehicle riders as well as pedestrians. Currently in its third edition, the campaign seeks to incorporate print, radio and digital mediums to educate the citizens on the various road safety rules, their significance and the need to follow them.  

Hero MotoCorp has joined hands with Hindustan Times for the campaign. How has this joint initiative helped in furthering the cause of safer roads? 
We are glad to collaborate with the Hindustan Times for the #BeARoadHero Campaign. It enables us to spread our road safety message to its wide readership base. The success of any public campaign lies in its ability to effectively reach the target audience. We hope that this initiative helps in enhancing road safety awareness in road users and brings about a positive attitudinal and behavioral change in them, which will eventually reduce the frequency of accidents and help save lives.  

What, according to you, are the top most road safety challenges in India? 
With the rise in vehicular traffic, roads are becoming increasingly busy. Often, the lack of proper riding and driving skills can lead to injuries and accidents on the road. This is why we impart two-wheeler riding training at our traffic training parks across the country. Awareness about and strict compliance of traffic rules and regulations will also help in significantly reducing road accidents.   

What are the road safety rules that people are most lax about in our country? 
While road safety requires a comprehensive and holistic approach, we as citizens often get the basics wrong. Through this campaign, we seek to bring the focus back on these basic and yet important traffic rules that are integral for our safety - wearing helmets/seat-belts, following lane driving, abiding by the speed limit and always helping fellow accident victims.  

Do you think it is important to educate school students about road safety rules? What role should schools play in making students aware of traffic rules and helping them grow up as responsible passengers and pedestrians? 
Imparting knowledge about road safety rules to children from an early age enables them into becoming responsible road users. In addition to this, the knowledge of good road safety practices also ensures their own protection while on the road. With the increase in vehicular traffic, it is extremely important for parents and teachers to teach children about traffic rules and regulation. Keeping this in mind, we have designed a free Road Safety Video Course for students on the HT School platform. We urge all teachers and parents to come forward and encourage students to take the fun course.