![\"IMG_6643\"](\"http:\/\/www.ourowncorner.com\/poohsden\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/IMG_6643.jpg\")
<\/p>\nYou could not have missed them. They were all around the major road junctions in Chennai spreading a word about creating an “Accident Free Nation”. A wonderful initiative by Thozhan that was well publicized.<\/p>\n
I met them at Vijaya Nagar junction – the volunteers without any protective gear (no reflectors, helmets) threading through traffic holding placards and reminding people to wear helmets and seatbelts. It made me panic. The kind of panic I feel when I am on the road and kids run amok without scant concern.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I pulled a volunteer (who actually skipped our car as we were wearing our seatbelts) and asked about “her safety”. She shrugged it off and said “I can step aside in 2 seconds when the traffic gets moving”\u00a0Isn’t this the attitude that gets people killed on our roads?<\/p>\n
A helmet is too hot and messes with my hair. Accidents don’t affect me. Seat belts are really not effective. It is too much of an hassle to walk around to a pedestrian crossing when I can weave through traffic?<\/p>\n
![\"IMG_6642\"](\"http:\/\/www.ourowncorner.com\/poohsden\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/IMG_6642.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
And what were they thinking distributing pamphlets at the junction to drivers. This is what I observed – people paying scant attention to the road and reading the sheet of paper. Disaster waiting to happen.<\/p>\n
![\"IMG_6698\"](\"http:\/\/www.ourowncorner.com\/poohsden\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/IMG_6698.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
I am not the greatest driver on earth but I certainly think keeping your eyes and ears on the road help. Which means no papers, no cell phones while driving.<\/p>\n
Maybe next time Thozhan and its volunteers would think of a better way to spread the message than turn themselves into targets on our roads.<\/p>\n
![\"IMG_6641\"](\"http:\/\/www.ourowncorner.com\/poohsden\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/IMG_6641.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You could not have missed them. They were all around the major road junctions in Chennai spreading a word about creating an “Accident Free Nation”. A wonderful initiative by Thozhan that was well publicized. I met them at Vijaya Nagar junction – the volunteers without any protective gear (no reflectors, helmets) threading through traffic holding placards and reminding people to wear helmets and seatbelts. It made me panic. The kind of panic I feel when I am on the road and kids run amok without scant concern. I pulled a volunteer (who actually skipped our car as we were wearing our seatbelts) and asked about “her safety”. She shrugged it off and said “I can step aside in 2 seconds when the traffic gets moving”\u00a0Isn’t this the attitude that gets people killed on our roads? A helmet is too hot and messes with my hair. Accidents don’t affect me. Seat belts are really not effective. It is too much of an hassle to walk around to a pedestrian crossing when I can weave through traffic? And what were they thinking distributing pamphlets at the junction to drivers. This is what I observed – people paying scant attention to the road […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[193],"tags":[1183,17,1007],"class_list":["post-8042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-through-the-window","tag-asia","tag-chennai","tag-road-trip"],"yoast_head":"\n