Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Aditya Singh was riding his motorcycle, without wearing a helmet, when he met with an accident and died. The year was 2009 and the young man was only 29.
His death left a deep mark on his younger brother, Abhay Pratap Singh. In 2021, when Abhay Pratap was elected as gram pradhan (village head) of Niyamatpur’s gram panchayat in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, the first thing he did was launch an awareness campaign on the importance of wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle, including the pillion riders. India is one of the top countries in the world with the highest fatalities due to road accidents.
For the past two years, Abhay Pratap is doing his bit and has been distributing helmets in his village and requesting people to wear them. Almost every household in the village has received a helmet from him.
“I have donated about 150 helmets in my village and have 500 more helmets kept in my house, which I plan to distribute,” the gram pradhan told Gaon Connection.
“I lost my brother. The entire family misses him. I don’t want anyone else in my village to suffer the way my family did,” the 27-year-old added.
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His 65-year-old mother, Lajjavati, is still inconsolable at the loss of her elder son to a road accident. “Don’t remind me of my son’s accident. It still hurts when I think of it and I also feel angry. Young people should spare a thought for their families when they get onto their motorcycles,” she said.
Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death globally. India ranks at the top with the highest number of fatalities — about 11 per cent of the world share. Road accidents claim 19 lives per hour in India.
Last year, in 2022, a total of 461,312 road accidents occurred in 2022, which claimed 168,491 lives, while 443,366 people were injured. The worst affected age group in Road accidents is 18-45 years, which accounts for about 67 per cent of total accidental deaths.
“Nearly 70 per cent of injuries and deaths happen because the two-wheeler drivers were without helmets,” said Shantibhushan Pandey, assistant road transport officer in Shahjahanpur.
“I am pleased that the village head Abhay Pratap Singh is leading this campaign to get people to wear helmets while on their two-wheelers. More people should come forward and help the society by raising awareness,” he added.
Lakshmi can never forget this year’s Holi. That day her husband, Arvind Singh, met with a road accident and died a week later of severe head injuries.
“He might still be alive had he been wearing a helmet,” said 32-year-old Lakshmi, a resident of Niyamatpur village, who is now single handedly raising their two daughters.
“We sold two of our buffaloes, my jewellery and borrowed money from almost everybody in my family for his treatment but still couldn’t save him,” the widow said. “I do not know how I am going to repay all the debt I have incurred,” she worried.
According to gram pradhan Abhay Pratap, the campaign for helmets has had some effect. “I am constantly telling people in my village to wear helmets. I tell them it can save their lives. A head injury can leave people paralysed for life if not dead. If I see anyone without a helmet, I ask them to go home and get their helmet,” he said.
The villagers are glad that their representative is concerned about their safety.
Abhay Pratap Singh, the gram pradhan who is leading the awareness campaign in his village.
“I travel almost 20 kilometres a day by bike. The pradhan ji is very particular about road safety and about wearing a helmet. He has given a helmet to me as well,” Adesh Yadav, a 29-year-old milk supplier from the village, told Gaon Connection.
His younger brother, Nikhil Yadav, has just turned 18 and is awaiting his driving licence. “I will always wear a helmet when I ride a bike,” he promised.
“Ours is probably the only village in the vicinity where people wear helmets without fail. It is all because of the awareness spread by pradhan ji,” said 24-year-old Ajneesh Singh proudly.
