<p>Banashankari resident Yogesha Lakkanna is running a road safety campaign to sensitise the youth in and around Bengaluru. It is called ‘Swarakshane’.</p>.<p>He has conducted road safety programmes at four educational institutions in Bengaluru and Kunigal, in association with Rotary Bangalore Spandana. “I took over as the club president last year and I wanted to use this opportunity to spread awareness about an issue I am passionate about,” he talks of his decision to start the campaign in August 2022. He identified the gaps in India’s road safety ecosystem through his work. He has driven over 2 lakh kilometres across the globe in 14 years to do “navigation testing”. Yogesha is the associate director of Embitel Technologies, and verifies and validates automotive infotainment systems.</p>.<p>“Every year, on an average, road accidents lead to over 1.5 lakh deaths and around 65,000 amputations in India. A majority of accidents are a result of reckless two-wheeler driving by youngsters,” he points out.</p>.<p>His campaign covers four areas: road infrastructure and bureaucratic bodies, condition of the vehicle, awareness about road safety among drivers, and emergency response. However, his main focus is to increase the adoption of driving licences.</p>.<p>“I was conducting a programme at a college last year. Out of the 75 students in the room who could ride or drive, only a handful had a driving licence. This is a growing problem, especially in rural areas,” he shares.</p>.<p>In his campaigns, he invites traffic officers, traffic wardens, and transport officials to teach youngsters how to drive responsibly and other road etiquette. He sensitises them about the importance of a driving license for insurance and other legal purposes. He also organises informative skits involving students and asks them to take an oath to be responsible drivers.</p>.<p>When Yogesha started the campaign, he was doing it out of his personal funds. Now his company sponsors it as a part of corporate social responsibilty. “I’ve also contacted other rotary clubs that are associated with colleges in the city. I plan to cover at least 10 more schools and colleges by July,” adds the 47-year-old.</p>
<p>Banashankari resident Yogesha Lakkanna is running a road safety campaign to sensitise the youth in and around Bengaluru. It is called ‘Swarakshane’.</p>.<p>He has conducted road safety programmes at four educational institutions in Bengaluru and Kunigal, in association with Rotary Bangalore Spandana. “I took over as the club president last year and I wanted to use this opportunity to spread awareness about an issue I am passionate about,” he talks of his decision to start the campaign in August 2022. He identified the gaps in India’s road safety ecosystem through his work. He has driven over 2 lakh kilometres across the globe in 14 years to do “navigation testing”. Yogesha is the associate director of Embitel Technologies, and verifies and validates automotive infotainment systems.</p>.<p>“Every year, on an average, road accidents lead to over 1.5 lakh deaths and around 65,000 amputations in India. A majority of accidents are a result of reckless two-wheeler driving by youngsters,” he points out.</p>.<p>His campaign covers four areas: road infrastructure and bureaucratic bodies, condition of the vehicle, awareness about road safety among drivers, and emergency response. However, his main focus is to increase the adoption of driving licences.</p>.<p>“I was conducting a programme at a college last year. Out of the 75 students in the room who could ride or drive, only a handful had a driving licence. This is a growing problem, especially in rural areas,” he shares.</p>.<p>In his campaigns, he invites traffic officers, traffic wardens, and transport officials to teach youngsters how to drive responsibly and other road etiquette. He sensitises them about the importance of a driving license for insurance and other legal purposes. He also organises informative skits involving students and asks them to take an oath to be responsible drivers.</p>.<p>When Yogesha started the campaign, he was doing it out of his personal funds. Now his company sponsors it as a part of corporate social responsibilty. “I’ve also contacted other rotary clubs that are associated with colleges in the city. I plan to cover at least 10 more schools and colleges by July,” adds the 47-year-old.</p>