Dear PM Narendra Modi ji and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari Ji,

Few days ago my dearest relative Munnaji (the husband of my cousin sister) died in a bike-to-bike collision after struggling for life and death for many weeks in the hospital. Two traffic safety rules were violated in this unfortunate accident: first, Munnaji was sitting behind and did not unfortunately wear a helmet unlike the bike-driver and second, the other bike struck his bike while his bike was crossing the road which was against the traffic rule as the right of the way belongs to one crossing the road.

We lost Munnaji at the unfortunate age of 55. My sister became a widow and his two sons lost their father, we all lost a most dear person and the society lost a very good-hearted man. This loss cannot be mitigated at all. But this loss was totally preventable if India's Road Transport and Highways Ministry would have enforced traffic safety rules like they are done in developed countries like the USA and Germany.

After the unfortunate death of Munnaji, I bought a helmet from internet for my cycle-riding. I was shocked to learn from the product description that "Studies show that 70-80% of all fatal bicycle crashes involve head injuries. And did you know that bicycle helmets are 85-88% effective in mitigating head and brain injuries? Despite that, a lowly 18% of cyclists wear helmets when they ride. Don't become another statistic... Protect your noggin, and your life, with the Cycling helmet!"

If I had known this statistics, I would have bought cycle helmet when I was 9-10 rather than when I am now 38 year old. What a great risk I took due to ignorance! In India, we see neither cyclists using helmets nor bikists (particularly bike-riders) using helmets. We also see violation of various traffic safety rules like not giving the right of the way as per the rules, not wearing seat-belts (particularly non-driver seat-belts), no child safety seats, etc.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that early estimates show 38,680 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2020, a 7.2% increase from the year prior. The figure is also the most traffic fatalities since 2007.

So, instead of things getting better they are getting worse in India. How many more good-hearted people like Munnajis do we need to lose before we wake up as a country and collectivity? 

I request our PM Modiji and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari Ji to actively take steps to bring forth traffic safety awareness among public and the strictest possible enforcement of traffic safety rules in India at the earliest. Let us save lives before it is too late like what happened in case of my dearest relative, Munnaji.

Please take this petition with full seriousness and sincerity. We shall be extremely grateful to you for this.

Yours sincerely

Concerned citizens of India