Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A cyclothon was organised to call for immediate action to curb overspeeding in the city on Sunday. The event was aimed at expressing solidarity with families of road accident victims while advocating for stronger measures to curb overspeeding and save lives.
About 125 participants including school students and citizens took part in the cyclothon to mark World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Cyclists displayed road safety messages on their bicycles, underscoring the importance of safe driving. Organised by National Centre for Human Settlements & Environment and Consumer Voice, New Delhi, the cyclothon began at Ankur School in Dayanand Nagar and passed through TT Nagar Road, Mata Mandir Square and Shivaji Square before returning to Ankur School.
With Madhya Pradesh reporting a high rate of speed-related fatalities, particularly affecting pedestrians, participants pressed for urgent need to enhance road safety measures.
The participants signed a memorandum addressed to Transport Minister that called for immediate action to address overspeeding and strengthening traffic regulations to reduce fatalities and injuries on the roads.
Madhya Pradesh reported 54,432 accidents (11.8% of India’s total), resulting in 13,427 fatalities, the fourth-highest in the country. Overspeeding accounted for 72.4% of accidents and 75.2% of fatalities nationwide. In Madhya Pradesh alone, overspeeding led to 3,247 deaths in 2022.
