S.M. Hussain has responded to US Rana’s suggestion carried in my column on Monday. He writes, “I read with keen interest Mr. Rana's suggestion for strict implementation of traffic laws. I think it is impossible to implement any law in any country unless people abide by it and cooperate. It is impossible to post traffic police everywhere to enforce rules. Basically, we have to inculcate the habit of obeying traffic rules among children.

“Parents and teachers play a major role in this regard. The Delhi Government should make it compulsory to teach traffic rules in all private and public schools in Delhi. Schools have physical and moral education periods, library periods, hobby classes etc., once in a week. But unfortunately, no time is devoted to teach traffic rules.

“Schools undertake excursions and educational trips to far away places. But they hesitate to send their students to learn traffic rules at Traffic Training Parks run by the Delhi Police because of lack of infrastructure or time. Delhi Traffic Police should have regular visits to schools to teach children in their formative years to respect traffic laws. After all, these kids grow up to obey rules and regulations.

“Some parents feel proud when they see their fifth standard child make an attempt to drive a car. They encourage the children to learn driving at an early age. There are many cases where the parents get fake driving licences from other states for their school going kids. These kids are responsible for rash and negligent driving and accidents. The police should prosecute any student driving a vehicle in school uniform because he is under-aged.

“Parents strictly prohibit children to drive vehicles below eighteen years old. Media can also play a very important role by regularly featuring programmes on safe driving. Unless people make a pledge on this Independence Day not to drive fast, rash or over-take the other vehicles from wrong-side, not to park in no parking zones, jump red-lights, stop dangerous driving, respect the fellow drivers and religiously follow traffic rules any amount of book rules won’t help to curb accidents.”

Long time back I had written about the same thing in my column. I was once speaking to K.S. Bedi, a retired ACP from the road safety cell of traffic police. He told me that they do a lot of lectures regarding road etiquettes in schools, but he feels that until and unless it is not made a permanent subject at the primary school level, these lectures don’t help that much. I too feel strongly for it and wish road safety were being taught as a subject at the Primary school level.