Road to safety
H. Kishie Singh

Your Child’s Road Safety Handbook by Harman Singh Sidhu.
ArriveSafe, Chandigarh. Pages 98. Rs 185.

A good instruction book on traffic discipline, in which the subject matter is comprehensive and just about every aspect of road safety is covered. However, the instructions in the book are terse, and in large font which makes it easy to read and understand. To make it more interesting for children, the book has self-explanatory colourful illustrations.

The introduction explains why children need special attention. According to the author, children are vulnerable to accidents because they are curious, daring and spontaneous.

A road is not a playground, so children should take extra care while on foot. "Walk only on the pavement or footpath. If there is no pavement, walk on the right-hand side of the road, so you can see the traffic coming towards you," says the book. It also gives instructions on how to cross the road; the value of a zebra crossing; how to cross the road with a centre median, etc. You have to watch for traffic from different directions. While waiting to cross the road, you must stand on the pavement. Safety tips for children cycling are invaluable. Since a lot of children cycle to school, these tips can surely help avoid accidents. The significance of red-amber-green of traffic lights is explained with the help of illustrations.

School bus discipline is explained in detail. This chapter should be invaluable for drivers and conductors of school buses as well as school authorities. This is followed by the chapter School Area Traffic Management. Again recommended reading and to be followed by all concerned.

The Code of Safe Practice is a must for parents as well as anyone concerned with transporting children, and their safety. Though a subject on road safety is the need of the hour, it is surprisingly missing from school curriculum. The book is a must read for everyone as much thought and hard work has gone into this.

The author Harman Singh Sidhu is a man with a mission. He was disabled at a young age in a car accident and has been confined to a wheelchair even since. His now aims to educate people on road safety and to save precious lives. He is president of the ArriveSafe Society, Chandigarh, and is the winner of many international awards, all related to road safety.

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