Dear Ajay & Gautam,
It is indeed very sad to hear the demise of one of our brothers. I might not know him but just being a part of Tabling makes me feel like I hv lost someone dear.
I must appreciate the efforts taken by some people like you & Gautham to address such issues.
Being educated & bestowed with all that one can ask for we tend to take life & warnings for granted.
I have seen & witnessed irresponsible & indisciplined behaviour & activities of our very own Tablers in our Area to my utter dismay -
1. Reckless driving incl reverse.
2. Pride in over speeding @ speeds in 3 digits .......sometimes with least disregard to co passengers & most of the time their own children
3. Pride in racing in the streets with thousands of people arnd them. Hotel to home in 5 minutes covering some 60 kms sending sms' simultaneously.
4. Seat belts are considered as shameful & sometimes interprets to being a inexperienced & a chicken of a driver. Hw many Tablers or even Circlers wear seat belts?? A handful perhaps.
5. Making children drive their cars @ the age of 5....placing them on the laps while they drive
6. Child seats - Hw many even hv heard of such a thing??
7. Then the famous drunken driving.......etc
I am sure every Table in our viscinity has got such nuts in em....atleast a hand ful.
I can partially understand someone who dies irresponsibly if uneducated but v r all highly educated?? whats our xcuse???
Shouldn't v be responsible in our ways? What can Tabling do about such an attitude?
Conduct a HRD Program??? To start with thats fine. I suggest expulsion of such nuts from the movement......isn't jeopordising urself with least regard to ur own life & even more disregard to people with u, a serious offense?? If proven (2day everyone hs got cameras everywhere) what can v do?? that includes chairmens ofcourse. how abt suspension for a month??
I would say avoid inter city car travel as far as possible......it is a proven fact that more people die on the road than any other medium of transport.
Trains literally connect every city in our Country....and now planes r getting there too. All dates r planned well in advance as far as our Movement goes...so why not apex fares??......bulk booking fares?? If u still want to hit the road (long distance), pool in money and take out a luxury coach which comes with more than one can ask for ......driver, cleaner to clean ur puke aftr parties........, video, luxury reclining seats, jacuzzi...(ok nevermind that) what more do v need?
The Tabler reading your mail ends his responsibilty by fwd'ing the same to his fellow tablers. The buck shud nt stop here.
Perhaps an oath shud b taken & some norms nforced...some national or area level competition in such safety aspects.
Talking abt ethics....how about clealiness & hygiene in one's homes....offices?? how abt taking care of health? excercise??? why stop with simple traffic violations?? hw abt patience? standing in cues? spitting in public?? list is endless.
Can't v all put our minds to show others what a group of people can do. Besides like I always say .......
" A SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS TAKE STRIDES IN IMPROVING HUMANITY……AS A MATTER OF FACT IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS"
I read ur mails & wanted to share my thoughts with my brothers rather than watch life go past me.
Rgrds
Ashok
C 162:)
On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 3:10 PM, National President: Tr. Ajay Handa <roundtableindia@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Friend,
"The loss of a friend is like that of a limb...time may heal the anguish of the wound, but the loss cannot be repaired"
We are all greatly saddened to hear of the heart-breaking news of Prospective Gautam Rai's demise...nothing will ever fill this void in the lives of his family. I sincerely request all to pray to God Almighty to give his family the strength to bear this great loss & grant peace to his soul.
I really hope that you have gone through the e-mail sent yesterday afternoon by our National HRD Convenor - Tr. Gautam Rao. (refer below)
The mail seeks to ensure the safety of Tablers and their families by communicating to you many different ways to be safe while driving or being driven. As mature individuals, we must pay heed to simple safety tips....tips that will ensure you celebrate more birthdays:) As Tablers, we like to have fun. Let us do the right things so that all of us can party well and still drive (be driven) to our homes safe and sound. Always remember, you have a responsibility to ensure 'road risks' are managed responsibly while traveling to and from Tabling events and at all other times as well.
We are working to develop a HR module on the topic of Driving & Safety. This will be sent to Table Chairmen and Secretaries so that it can be conducted at your Table meeting. In an effort to raise awareness about road safety amongst the tablers of Round Table India...we have decided to declare the month of March as - "Driving Safety Month"!!
All tables across RTI are urged to discuss this topic at their meetings and to conduct the Driving & Safety module.
Please go through Tr. Gautam's email, print it, and follow as many points as you can.
Drive safe my friend...we owe it to our families!
warm regards,
your friend,
Ajay
Tr. Ajay HandaPresidentRound Table IndiaEmail:ajay.handa@thehanshotel.com,Mobile: +91 9845251160Work: +91 836 2374770Skype: aj.handa
From: NHRD Convenor: Gautam Rao
To: RTI
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:22 PM
Subject: URGENT - Safety message for all Tablers and their families
Dear Fellow Tablers,
This is a very long email and I ask for your patience and understanding. It may very well save your life or the life of a loved one.
I began writing this email to all of you within hours after the last rites were performed for Gautam Rai, a prospective of a Table in Hyderabad. Somehow, witnessing the finality of his passage from this world, I felt an urgent need to reach out to all Tablers as soon as possible.
Gautam had been sitting in the back seat of a car that was returning from the MTM in Hyderabad in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 17th when the car went off the road and slammed into a tree at high speed. It is believed that he was rendered brain-dead almost instantaneously from the force of the collision. He was in the ICU for a little over a week, but never recovered brain function. He passed away on February 24th.
Gautam Rai's small children no longer have a father. His loving wife, Pooja, no longer has a husband. His mom, who had lost her husband many years ago, has now lost her eldest son. We pause to remember the talented, enthusiastic and warm man that he was and we mourn the loss of a life with so much potential. This has been an immense tragedy – and the price will be paid by many people, for many years.
This kind of fatal accident often involves multiple causes. Gautam Rai was not wearing a seatbelt and the spot/road where the accident occurred has a sharp curve and has been the scene of other fatalities. Alcohol is not thought to have been a factor in this accident. Regardless of the specific circumstances of this accident, a life has been lost and other lives have been shattered.
I write to all of you today because these kinds of tragedies are avoidable. I do not write this email to assign blame or responsibility for this specific event. The horrifying reality is that by not adhering to simple and prescribed safety rules we regularly put ourselves, our friends and our loved ones at risk for the same kind of trauma. This is even more so on Friday and Saturday nights when we often imbibe large quantities of alcohol. It's a miracle that fatal accidents have not happened more often.
Many people have tried to cope with this tragedy by discussing fate and destiny. I do understand how faith in God can help the family in their time of grief. However, I also feel that this faith is not a substitute for personal accountability. There are times when we have done everything we can to safeguard ourselves or our loved ones – and something bad still happens. This does not mean that we should say that it is in always in God's hands and therefore "Whatever will happen, will happen." Actually, it is said that "God helps those who help themselves". In this context, that means that it is our responsibility to provide for our own safety, and after we have done so to the best of our ability, then we can seek God's blessing and support.
This tragedy has been on the minds of many Tablers in Hyderabad. We had a serious email discussion on driving & safety in our Table E-Group. A number of good ideas were suggested. I have done further research online and have expanded on and organized ideas into the 4 categories below. I hope that you will adopt at least a few of them and that they will be of help.
Care of children in the car
Strictly use baby seats as appropriate – right size, facing the right direction, always use even if the child is crying and you want to hold him/her in your lap.
Know which age/size baby child should seat in the front seat if the car has an airbag – airbags can kill small children.
http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071113044921AAVwUlN
http://www.ou.edu/oupd/kidseat.htm - talks about air bags and child safety
See the above links and the below points– but please do further research of your own on the Web or through experts before buying/using child seats. The actions have serious consequences and I am not an expert on this.
Until your child reaches a weight of 10 kgs, you should use a backward facing car seat in the back seat of your car.
Children should remain in a forward-facing booster seat in the back seat of your car from 10 kgs until they reach approximately 18 kgs and 4 years of age
Older children sitting in the car should wear seat belts at all times – whether sitting in the front or in the back
Never, ever drive with baby in lap – if hit from behind, you will crush it against the steering column.
Baby should not be in the lap of the passenger either – if airbag is triggered (even through a small collision), baby can be killed from force of airbag. Please buy, install and use baby seats!
General Safety Tips while driving
Always wear your seat belts – this applies to both the front seat and the back seat. The law should not guide this – self-preservation should guide this. – The person driving must take responsibility to ensure that all are wearing their belts.
Think more about safety features in the purchases of your next car. Also, insist that rear seat belts be tested before driving away from the showroom.
Even if wide awake and completely sober – drive within reasonable speeds. I cannot tell you what this is, but it is surely less than what most of us drive at when we are presented with relatively empty roads in the late night/wee hours of the morning.
Try not to drive fast when in an unfamiliar car model or new car for the first time on a highway. You will not be used to its behaviour and that will lose you precious seconds in a tight situation, when your reflexes need to work best.
Similarly, try not to drive fast on roads with which you are not that familiar.
Keep in mind the role that fatigue plays in deciding how late into the night we should party at far away venues. Fatigue can be as deadly as alcohol.
Always drive slower at night as visibility is significantly less at night.
Be very careful of dangerous spots in the road – especially sharp curves. Note them while driving to a party, so you are aware of them when driving back.
"Speed Kills"– You should never speed!! Ask yourself "It is more important that I arrive a few minutes sooner or is it more important than I arrive"?
Remember that when we drive, we hold the lives of many innocents in our hands – this includes passengers in our car, other drivers/passengers as well as pedestrians on the road
Suggestions to help avoid having to drink and drive
Many of us find ourselves in a situation where we have to drink and drive. While drinking is not the only cause of fatal accidents – it increases the risk considerably. Here are some suggestions to avoid having to drink and drive.
The Table can pick a certain number of "designated drivers" for a given party. This list should take into account who lives near to who and Tables should make sure that the list is rotated often so that no one feels that they are always asked to miss out of the alcohol.
Existing drivers can be paid Rs.200 to Rs.300 (or any other amount) per night 'hardship allowance' when you plan to drink or will be out very late. At least do this on Saturday nights - this shouldn't be too much hardship for them as they can rest late on Sunday and they certainly appreciate the extra income.
People can hire a (or an additional) driver on a full-time basis. I'm sure most people could benefit from this in other aspects of their life as well - work, transporting children, etc.
One (or more) Sumo/Qualis with driver can be hired at Rs.800 - Rs.1200 per night for late night events. This can transport as many as 8 people and minimize the distance that they have to drive. Given the amount of money we Tablers spend on vacations and fun, should we have to really think so hard about something like this?
Swallow our pride and request a drop home if we do not feel that we can drive safely.
Tips to reduce danger/risk if one still chooses to drink and drive
As mentioned above, the best thing you can do for your safety when drinking or sleepy is to let someone else drive. Unfortunately, many of us will still not do this. There are still things that we can do to be safer:
Simply decide that you will drink less if you know you must drive that night.
Eat some snacks before you have your first drink and only drink small (30ml) drinks through the party.
In between alcoholic drinks, have a glass of water or soda or any non-alcoholic beverage.
Stop drinking at least 1 hour before driving and eat some food and drink lots of water.
The night cap, one for the road, is the worst thing one can do. Never force someone to have that last drink.
If someone has had a lot and still insists on driving, force them to have lots of COFFEE. It is common practice in many countries for people to end an evening which involved alcohol with a large cup (or multiple cups) of coffee. The caffeine can help!!! If you don't like coffee, then drink 'Red Bull'.
If one is still going to drink and drive, never drive above 45kmph (even if you find it boring). The slower the car is moving, the more time the driver has to react to changes in conditions. Research has shown that, after drinking (even moderately) or when sleepy, our reflexes slow down and we cannot react as fast.
If you are going from one party to another and you are already high – drive home instead.
Admit when sleepy or high while driving. It is better to change drivers or wait on the side of the main road with flashers on than to risk an accident.
If you start out and feel that you should not (or cannot) continue, pull over to the side of the road. Take the keys out of the ignition and call back to the party and ask for help from a more sober person.
If you absolutely can't get help, park the car on the side of the road, lock the doors, put on the parking light and take a small nap.
Insist on all passengers in the car wearing seatbelts at all times. If there are no rear seat belts in the car don't carry passengers until you have them fitted.
PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY!!
There are surely many more ways that you can be safe and I encourage you to add to this list.
I urge all of you to please take precautions to safeguard yourselves and your loved ones when driving – whether or not alcohol is involved. Please begin this instant – start by ensuring that seat belts are used in the front seat and in the back seat of the car at all times. This alone will help immeasurably. Go through the list in this email and decide which of these apply to you and which of these you are willing to do.
A more detailed module on safety (with additional resources and links) will follow, and it is my sincere hope that this module can be taken up by every Table in India during their business meeting in the month of March.
We all know that accidents can happen regardless of what WE do, but please follow these steps and at least you can significantly reduce the risk of an accident happening.
Best wishes and warm regards
Gautam Rao
National Convenor: HRD and Leadership Development
GautamRao.RTI@gmail.com
This e-mail was scanned for viruses using BitDefender.
It is indeed very sad to hear the demise of one of our brothers. I might not know him but just being a part of Tabling makes me feel like I hv lost someone dear.
I must appreciate the efforts taken by some people like you & Gautham to address such issues.
Being educated & bestowed with all that one can ask for we tend to take life & warnings for granted.
I have seen & witnessed irresponsible & indisciplined behaviour & activities of our very own Tablers in our Area to my utter dismay -
1. Reckless driving incl reverse.
2. Pride in over speeding @ speeds in 3 digits .......sometimes with least disregard to co passengers & most of the time their own children
3. Pride in racing in the streets with thousands of people arnd them. Hotel to home in 5 minutes covering some 60 kms sending sms' simultaneously.
4. Seat belts are considered as shameful & sometimes interprets to being a inexperienced & a chicken of a driver. Hw many Tablers or even Circlers wear seat belts?? A handful perhaps.
5. Making children drive their cars @ the age of 5....placing them on the laps while they drive
6. Child seats - Hw many even hv heard of such a thing??
7. Then the famous drunken driving.......etc
I am sure every Table in our viscinity has got such nuts in em....atleast a hand ful.
I can partially understand someone who dies irresponsibly if uneducated but v r all highly educated?? whats our xcuse???
Shouldn't v be responsible in our ways? What can Tabling do about such an attitude?
Conduct a HRD Program??? To start with thats fine. I suggest expulsion of such nuts from the movement......isn't jeopordising urself with least regard to ur own life & even more disregard to people with u, a serious offense?? If proven (2day everyone hs got cameras everywhere) what can v do?? that includes chairmens ofcourse. how abt suspension for a month??
I would say avoid inter city car travel as far as possible......it is a proven fact that more people die on the road than any other medium of transport.
Trains literally connect every city in our Country....and now planes r getting there too. All dates r planned well in advance as far as our Movement goes...so why not apex fares??......bulk booking fares?? If u still want to hit the road (long distance), pool in money and take out a luxury coach which comes with more than one can ask for ......driver, cleaner to clean ur puke aftr parties........, video, luxury reclining seats, jacuzzi...(ok nevermind that) what more do v need?
The Tabler reading your mail ends his responsibilty by fwd'ing the same to his fellow tablers. The buck shud nt stop here.
Perhaps an oath shud b taken & some norms nforced...some national or area level competition in such safety aspects.
Talking abt ethics....how about clealiness & hygiene in one's homes....offices?? how abt taking care of health? excercise??? why stop with simple traffic violations?? hw abt patience? standing in cues? spitting in public?? list is endless.
Can't v all put our minds to show others what a group of people can do. Besides like I always say .......
" A SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS TAKE STRIDES IN IMPROVING HUMANITY……AS A MATTER OF FACT IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS"
I read ur mails & wanted to share my thoughts with my brothers rather than watch life go past me.
Rgrds
Ashok
C 162:)
On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 3:10 PM, National President: Tr. Ajay Handa <roundtableindia@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Friend,
"The loss of a friend is like that of a limb...time may heal the anguish of the wound, but the loss cannot be repaired"
We are all greatly saddened to hear of the heart-breaking news of Prospective Gautam Rai's demise...nothing will ever fill this void in the lives of his family. I sincerely request all to pray to God Almighty to give his family the strength to bear this great loss & grant peace to his soul.
I really hope that you have gone through the e-mail sent yesterday afternoon by our National HRD Convenor - Tr. Gautam Rao. (refer below)
The mail seeks to ensure the safety of Tablers and their families by communicating to you many different ways to be safe while driving or being driven. As mature individuals, we must pay heed to simple safety tips....tips that will ensure you celebrate more birthdays:) As Tablers, we like to have fun. Let us do the right things so that all of us can party well and still drive (be driven) to our homes safe and sound. Always remember, you have a responsibility to ensure 'road risks' are managed responsibly while traveling to and from Tabling events and at all other times as well.
We are working to develop a HR module on the topic of Driving & Safety. This will be sent to Table Chairmen and Secretaries so that it can be conducted at your Table meeting. In an effort to raise awareness about road safety amongst the tablers of Round Table India...we have decided to declare the month of March as - "Driving Safety Month"!!
All tables across RTI are urged to discuss this topic at their meetings and to conduct the Driving & Safety module.
Please go through Tr. Gautam's email, print it, and follow as many points as you can.
Drive safe my friend...we owe it to our families!
warm regards,
your friend,
Ajay
Tr. Ajay HandaPresidentRound Table IndiaEmail:ajay.handa@thehanshotel.com,Mobile: +91 9845251160Work: +91 836 2374770Skype: aj.handa
From: NHRD Convenor: Gautam Rao
To: RTI
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:22 PM
Subject: URGENT - Safety message for all Tablers and their families
Dear Fellow Tablers,
This is a very long email and I ask for your patience and understanding. It may very well save your life or the life of a loved one.
I began writing this email to all of you within hours after the last rites were performed for Gautam Rai, a prospective of a Table in Hyderabad. Somehow, witnessing the finality of his passage from this world, I felt an urgent need to reach out to all Tablers as soon as possible.
Gautam had been sitting in the back seat of a car that was returning from the MTM in Hyderabad in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 17th when the car went off the road and slammed into a tree at high speed. It is believed that he was rendered brain-dead almost instantaneously from the force of the collision. He was in the ICU for a little over a week, but never recovered brain function. He passed away on February 24th.
Gautam Rai's small children no longer have a father. His loving wife, Pooja, no longer has a husband. His mom, who had lost her husband many years ago, has now lost her eldest son. We pause to remember the talented, enthusiastic and warm man that he was and we mourn the loss of a life with so much potential. This has been an immense tragedy – and the price will be paid by many people, for many years.
This kind of fatal accident often involves multiple causes. Gautam Rai was not wearing a seatbelt and the spot/road where the accident occurred has a sharp curve and has been the scene of other fatalities. Alcohol is not thought to have been a factor in this accident. Regardless of the specific circumstances of this accident, a life has been lost and other lives have been shattered.
I write to all of you today because these kinds of tragedies are avoidable. I do not write this email to assign blame or responsibility for this specific event. The horrifying reality is that by not adhering to simple and prescribed safety rules we regularly put ourselves, our friends and our loved ones at risk for the same kind of trauma. This is even more so on Friday and Saturday nights when we often imbibe large quantities of alcohol. It's a miracle that fatal accidents have not happened more often.
Many people have tried to cope with this tragedy by discussing fate and destiny. I do understand how faith in God can help the family in their time of grief. However, I also feel that this faith is not a substitute for personal accountability. There are times when we have done everything we can to safeguard ourselves or our loved ones – and something bad still happens. This does not mean that we should say that it is in always in God's hands and therefore "Whatever will happen, will happen." Actually, it is said that "God helps those who help themselves". In this context, that means that it is our responsibility to provide for our own safety, and after we have done so to the best of our ability, then we can seek God's blessing and support.
This tragedy has been on the minds of many Tablers in Hyderabad. We had a serious email discussion on driving & safety in our Table E-Group. A number of good ideas were suggested. I have done further research online and have expanded on and organized ideas into the 4 categories below. I hope that you will adopt at least a few of them and that they will be of help.
Care of children in the car
Strictly use baby seats as appropriate – right size, facing the right direction, always use even if the child is crying and you want to hold him/her in your lap.
Know which age/size baby child should seat in the front seat if the car has an airbag – airbags can kill small children.
http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071113044921AAVwUlN
http://www.ou.edu/oupd/kidseat.htm - talks about air bags and child safety
See the above links and the below points– but please do further research of your own on the Web or through experts before buying/using child seats. The actions have serious consequences and I am not an expert on this.
Until your child reaches a weight of 10 kgs, you should use a backward facing car seat in the back seat of your car.
Children should remain in a forward-facing booster seat in the back seat of your car from 10 kgs until they reach approximately 18 kgs and 4 years of age
Older children sitting in the car should wear seat belts at all times – whether sitting in the front or in the back
Never, ever drive with baby in lap – if hit from behind, you will crush it against the steering column.
Baby should not be in the lap of the passenger either – if airbag is triggered (even through a small collision), baby can be killed from force of airbag. Please buy, install and use baby seats!
General Safety Tips while driving
Always wear your seat belts – this applies to both the front seat and the back seat. The law should not guide this – self-preservation should guide this. – The person driving must take responsibility to ensure that all are wearing their belts.
Think more about safety features in the purchases of your next car. Also, insist that rear seat belts be tested before driving away from the showroom.
Even if wide awake and completely sober – drive within reasonable speeds. I cannot tell you what this is, but it is surely less than what most of us drive at when we are presented with relatively empty roads in the late night/wee hours of the morning.
Try not to drive fast when in an unfamiliar car model or new car for the first time on a highway. You will not be used to its behaviour and that will lose you precious seconds in a tight situation, when your reflexes need to work best.
Similarly, try not to drive fast on roads with which you are not that familiar.
Keep in mind the role that fatigue plays in deciding how late into the night we should party at far away venues. Fatigue can be as deadly as alcohol.
Always drive slower at night as visibility is significantly less at night.
Be very careful of dangerous spots in the road – especially sharp curves. Note them while driving to a party, so you are aware of them when driving back.
"Speed Kills"– You should never speed!! Ask yourself "It is more important that I arrive a few minutes sooner or is it more important than I arrive"?
Remember that when we drive, we hold the lives of many innocents in our hands – this includes passengers in our car, other drivers/passengers as well as pedestrians on the road
Suggestions to help avoid having to drink and drive
Many of us find ourselves in a situation where we have to drink and drive. While drinking is not the only cause of fatal accidents – it increases the risk considerably. Here are some suggestions to avoid having to drink and drive.
The Table can pick a certain number of "designated drivers" for a given party. This list should take into account who lives near to who and Tables should make sure that the list is rotated often so that no one feels that they are always asked to miss out of the alcohol.
Existing drivers can be paid Rs.200 to Rs.300 (or any other amount) per night 'hardship allowance' when you plan to drink or will be out very late. At least do this on Saturday nights - this shouldn't be too much hardship for them as they can rest late on Sunday and they certainly appreciate the extra income.
People can hire a (or an additional) driver on a full-time basis. I'm sure most people could benefit from this in other aspects of their life as well - work, transporting children, etc.
One (or more) Sumo/Qualis with driver can be hired at Rs.800 - Rs.1200 per night for late night events. This can transport as many as 8 people and minimize the distance that they have to drive. Given the amount of money we Tablers spend on vacations and fun, should we have to really think so hard about something like this?
Swallow our pride and request a drop home if we do not feel that we can drive safely.
Tips to reduce danger/risk if one still chooses to drink and drive
As mentioned above, the best thing you can do for your safety when drinking or sleepy is to let someone else drive. Unfortunately, many of us will still not do this. There are still things that we can do to be safer:
Simply decide that you will drink less if you know you must drive that night.
Eat some snacks before you have your first drink and only drink small (30ml) drinks through the party.
In between alcoholic drinks, have a glass of water or soda or any non-alcoholic beverage.
Stop drinking at least 1 hour before driving and eat some food and drink lots of water.
The night cap, one for the road, is the worst thing one can do. Never force someone to have that last drink.
If someone has had a lot and still insists on driving, force them to have lots of COFFEE. It is common practice in many countries for people to end an evening which involved alcohol with a large cup (or multiple cups) of coffee. The caffeine can help!!! If you don't like coffee, then drink 'Red Bull'.
If one is still going to drink and drive, never drive above 45kmph (even if you find it boring). The slower the car is moving, the more time the driver has to react to changes in conditions. Research has shown that, after drinking (even moderately) or when sleepy, our reflexes slow down and we cannot react as fast.
If you are going from one party to another and you are already high – drive home instead.
Admit when sleepy or high while driving. It is better to change drivers or wait on the side of the main road with flashers on than to risk an accident.
If you start out and feel that you should not (or cannot) continue, pull over to the side of the road. Take the keys out of the ignition and call back to the party and ask for help from a more sober person.
If you absolutely can't get help, park the car on the side of the road, lock the doors, put on the parking light and take a small nap.
Insist on all passengers in the car wearing seatbelts at all times. If there are no rear seat belts in the car don't carry passengers until you have them fitted.
PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY!!
There are surely many more ways that you can be safe and I encourage you to add to this list.
I urge all of you to please take precautions to safeguard yourselves and your loved ones when driving – whether or not alcohol is involved. Please begin this instant – start by ensuring that seat belts are used in the front seat and in the back seat of the car at all times. This alone will help immeasurably. Go through the list in this email and decide which of these apply to you and which of these you are willing to do.
A more detailed module on safety (with additional resources and links) will follow, and it is my sincere hope that this module can be taken up by every Table in India during their business meeting in the month of March.
We all know that accidents can happen regardless of what WE do, but please follow these steps and at least you can significantly reduce the risk of an accident happening.
Best wishes and warm regards
Gautam Rao
National Convenor: HRD and Leadership Development
GautamRao.RTI@gmail.com
This e-mail was scanned for viruses using BitDefender.
