Akshay Kumar: The Campaign To Promote Road Safety

When it comes to Akshay Kumar, his association with and firm belief in issues regarding the youth and Indian people does not come off as a surprise.

pic courtesy: rajnathsingh.in

Whether it has been about his promotion of the "Bharat Ke Veer" app along with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh or his generous charity work, Akshay Kumar has proved time and again about his immense dedication towards working for the people of our country.

Akshay's Dedecation For Social Causes

Likewise, when it has come to rules, the immensely talented actor is known to be a strict disciplinarian who does not step back in proving his zeal for the same.

pic courtesy: firstpost

Maybe due to that reason, Akshay Kumar can be considered the ideal volunteer as a police officer in a new campaign for road safety. It might just be a suggestion but when you come to think of it, you realize it not only makes perfect sense but is also one of the best ways to implement a publicity campaign against the rising madness of road rage amongst the Indian youth.

Road Accidents Data

A Report on Road Accidents in India 2016, published by Transport Research wing under Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, states that as per the data cited in the report,

The country recorded at least 4,80,652 accidents in 2016, leading to 1,50,785 deaths. The number suggests that at least 413 people died every day in 1,317 road accidents. Further breaking down the statistics, the data reveals that at least 17 deaths occurred in road accidents in 55 accidents every hour in the given time period.

Refusal to adhere to traffic rules, aggressive driving, speeding on busy roads, drunk driving, improper turns, tailgating, etc. are some of the major causes behind these road accidents. Surprisingly, the Indian public can be successfully relied upon to tone-deaf to ideas or pass it off as "unnecessary" when it comes to spreading awareness.

Road Safety Campaign

pic courtesy: hidustantimes

Due to this reason, using a successful actor as one of the brand names for a road safety campaign can actually bring in results considering the Indian public's craze for Bollywood celebrities.

Defining Road Safety

To start with, a road safety publicity campaign has been defined as essentially being a part of a set of activities that aim to promote safe driving and good habits while on the road.

This definition is according to a website and I honestly, couldn't have described it better myself. It divides the campaigns into three types each with different motives :

1. To raise awareness of an issue or to inform (for example about new laws)

2. To change attitudes (for example to improve public acceptance of road safety measures)

3. To change behaviour, as part of a safety measure.
Source: legacy.grsproadsafety.org

Akshay Makes The Campaign Fun Along With Informative

This can often make it seem like mass media campaigns are boring and only adhere to a set of strict procedures while carrying out the campaign. However, this is far from true. There are numerous ways a road safety campaign can turn out to be fun, and even transform into a mass movement.

pic courtesy: hidustantimes

This, of course, involves the participation of the people as well as an interesting brand ambassador. If targeted properly, social media can turn out to be an amazing method to spread awareness among the people. #SadakSurakshaJeevanRaksha

Similarly, TV advertisements, as well as print ads can display the creative and fun side of the campaign. People could do their bit by engaging in games and role play to spread awareness among their peers and family. Schools and colleges should organise poster making competitions which would create awareness among the youth as well as enhance their creativity.



Written by
Anoushka Sharma