Road sense: Driving home the point

The Motor Vehicle Department’s counselling classes have begun to reap success.

Records show that counselling given to the offenders booked for various cases have been following traffic rules to the hilt.

After counselling none of them have been caught flouting norms or triggering mishaps.

With traffic accidents increasing each year in the state, the Motor Vehicles Department decided to conduct counselling programme for offending drivers two years ago and did not expect to get such a good response.

When the Motor Vehicles Department conducted a random follow-up study on those who participated in the counselling class they found to their surprise that around 1000 drivers who have undergone counselling had not been involved in any of the traffic cases in last two years.

“It is a very positive result for the counselling centre that not a single driver who underwent the counselling and training has been caught for traffic offences or been involved in major or minor traffic accidents.

Besides, the session has induced a change in their lifestyle and they have become more responsible,” Adarsh Kumar G Nair, the coordinator of the counselling centre and Motor Vehicle Inspector said.

So far the department has trained 26 batches of drivers over the last two years.

The classes for each batch takes place once in a month at Kakkanad.

“We have given training to over 1000 drivers by this time.

Classes are given for enhancing their responsibility on road.

We conduct classes in yoga, meditation techniques, psychology classes, law especially on Motor Vehicles Act.

Besides, we have classes on first-aid, accident management and de-addiction.

Later, we monitor these drivers over the next couple of years,” Adarsh said.

Several persons who participated in the programme shared their experiences with ‘City Express’ after participating in the counselling classes.

Paul, a private bus driver and owner of the bus who was booked for rash driving said that his driving has undergone a drastic change after participating in the counselling class.

“Earlier I was driving the bus at an average speed of 40-60 km.

Often I was engaged in competitive driving for increasing the collection.

In the morning when I set out from home, a major thought that struck my mind was whether I would return home in the evening.

But now I respect the life of other people on the road.

I now realise that the life of others is as precious as my own family members.

Now each morning I am sure that I will return home and dine with my family in the evening,” Paul said.

Another driver, Santhosh said that he never liked people overtaking his vehicle and would drive faster if any attempts were made to overtake him.

“After the class my attitude changed and I have become more responsible.

Now even if a bicycle overtakes I stick to the speed limit,” he said.