The Delhi transport department is planning to set up road safety clubs in all schools in the national capital to create awareness about traffic rules, road safety, public health issues, and road etiquette, officials have said.

Following the directions of the transport department, the land and estate branch of the Directorate of Education (DoE) has asked all schools in Delhi to establish “road safety clubs” for spreading road safety awareness among school children.

“Roads accidents have been accepted as one of the biggest causes of deaths globally… About 1.5 lakh people lose their lives in road crashes every year in India. Road Safety –Lead agency has taken up various engineering interventions as well as initiated awareness activities/programs to curb this serious public health issue. School children being the major road users in the future need to be aware and trained about traffic rules,” read the circular issued by DoE.

Students will be taught about lane disciplines, signals, speed limit, tracks, traffic parks, and other guidelines on a daily basis, added the officials.

According to a senior government official, the road safety club will be like the eco clubs that the schools already have.

“Like in an eco club, through this road safety club, students who are future road users will be educated about what is road safety, lane discipline, driving rules, traffic safety and guidelines. Traffic simulators will be installed through which the students will be taught about traffic engineering virtually… Students will also be given traffic tours,” added the official.

Under this, the transport department also has plans to set up traffic parks, tracks and traffic safe zones in schools. Initially, the government planned to start this project on a pilot basis in about 30 to 40 government and private schools but the department now wants to implement it in all schools, said officials.

To increase road safety for the public and pedestrians, the transport department has also launched an initiative called High Impact Projects for Road Safety World plan 2022 in consultations with IIT-Delhi, BIGRS, TRIP Centre and the Save Life Foundation.

Under this project, the government has plans to create one safe school zones in 11 districts to address the growing concern of parents and school authorities for the safety of school children. “The department believes that the implementation of this initiative around schools will bring safe speed limit and safe crossing for children and road safety for children will increase,” said an official.