Coimbatore: In a significant stride towards enhancing road safety awareness among young school children, the Uyir Kutty Cops program, developed by UYIR, a Coimbatore-based NGO dedicated to road safety, took center stage during the Uyir Kutty Cops Road Safety Curriculum's Students Workbook and Faculty Guide Release Function held on October 13, 2023. The event unfolded at the Corporation Kalai Arangam in R.S.Puram, Coimbatore.
P.Amudha IAS, Principal Secretary of Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.
She released the Students Workbook and Faculty Guide for the 'Uyir Kutty Cops' Road Safety Curriculum, emphasizing the importance of educating children to become messengers of road safety.
The event witnessed the presence of esteemed Guests of Honor, including Kranthi Kumar Pati IAS, District Collector, Coimbatore, Bhavaneeswari, IGP, West Zone, and Balakrishnan, Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore City.
S.V.Balasubramaniam, while addressing the gathering, highlighted Uyir's mission, which commenced in 2018 with the aim of making Coimbatore's roads safe for everyone. He shared that Rs. 4.5 crore had been invested in installing numerous CCTV cameras at traffic junctions across the city. Dr.Rajasekaran, Uyir's Managing Trustee, emphasized India's alarming road accident statistics, underlining the necessity of creating a people's movement for road safety.
Balakrishnan IPS shared encouraging news that Coimbatore's efforts had reduced road accident deaths from 199 to 184, a 10% decrease, by the end of September 2023. He stressed the pivotal role of children and their teachers in further reducing these numbers through classroom education. District Collector Kranthi Kumar commended the program's outreach, which reached 1.6 lakh students in 460 schools in Coimbatore, leading to improved helmet compliance in the district.
Home Secretary P.Amudha IAS pointed out that a significant portion of accidents (90%) in Coimbatore occurred due to the driver's fault. She emphasized the need for programs like Uyir Kutty Cops to educate children, who would then educate their parents through practical learning. She urged all stakeholders to lead by example, following the road safety practices they preach.
Addressing the attendees, she highlighted the multifaceted reasons behind accidents, including poor road conditions, and stressed the shared responsibility of both authorities and road users in maintaining road discipline. Expressing hope for a positive change through this initiative, she applauded Uyir's Trustees and encouraged teachers to groom children about road safety while being exemplary role models.
The event concluded with a Vote of Thanks proposed by S.Malarvizhi, Trustee, Uyir, marking a significant step forward in the collective effort to create safer roads and instill responsible road behavior among the future generation.
