Buckle up: TGPWU launches #SelfiewithSeatBelt campaign
Hyderabad: To raise awareness about road safety and safe driving, the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU), has launched the #SelfiewithSeatBelt challenge. This social media initiative encourages drivers and also passengers to wear seat belts while traveling.
Shaik Salauddin, Founder President of TGPWU and who is also spearheading this campaign, emphasized the importance of seat belts in saving lives.
“The #SelfiewithSeatBelt challenge was initially introduced in 2016 and continues to gain widespread attention across India. We aim to inform the public that wearing a seat belt can be a life-saving habit, reducing the risk of fatal injuries by up to 60% in accidents,” he said.
According to the latest government report, Road Accidents in India—2022, 16,715 lives were lost due to not wearing seat belts, with 8,384 drivers and 8,331 passengers among the casualties. 4,61,312 road accidents occurred in 2022, resulting in 1,68,491 deaths and 4,43,366 injuries.
Statistics from the National Safety Council revealed that in 2016, 75% of road accident fatalities were due to not wearing seat belts. Thanks to awareness campaigns like #SelfiewithSeatBelt, By 2023, seat belt usage in India rose to 83% for front-seat occupants and 30% for rear-seat occupants, showing significant improvement due to increased awareness and safety campaigns.
Salauddin said the Hon’ble Minister for Transport Ponnam Prabhakar has expressed his support for the campaign and encouraged the public to follow road safety rules. We are awaiting the Minister’s acceptance of the #SelfiewithSeatBelt challenge, he stated.
“We wish everyone a Happy Bathukamma and Dussehra and urge all citizens to support the #SelfiewithSeatBelt initiative to save lives and make our roads safer, ” he added.
According to the Motor Vehicles Act, of 1988, wearing a seat is mandatory for drivers and passengers. The significance of wearing a seat belt is back in focus following the tragic incident involving Cyrus Mistry, the former chairman of Tata Sons, who was not wearing a seat belt during a car accident.
