An illuminated GS Road in Guwahati on New Year’s eve. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, Dec. 31: Behind the wheels and out on the streets? Say pehle aap (you first) to others.

With this message, the Assam transport department along with state police will carry out a statewide road safety week from January 11 to 17 to prevent accidents by generating public awareness.

District transport offices, regional transport authority offices across the state, police as well as those manning the checkgates at Srirampur and Boxirhat have been asked to carry out awareness campaigns by putting up banners and distributing pamphlets, urging people to check speed when they are riding motorcycles, driving cars or other vehicles.

“High speed is the major cause of accidents and more than 95 per cent accidents caused by high speed have been found to be fatal. People always want to go ahead of others and so race on the streets. During the campaign we will urge people to let others go first and thereby control speed. If we can control speed, we can prevent over 90 per cent road accidents and deaths,” a transport department official said today.

According to a letter from the road safety cell of the Union ministry of road transport and highways to chief secretaries of all states and director-generals of police on December 6, more than one lakh people die every year in road accidents.

In Assam, more than 2,200 people have died annually since 2006 because of road accidents and the police and transport department officials have been struggling to control mishaps.

Guwahati traffic police have enforced a speed limit of 30kmph inside the city to prevent accidents but many bikers and cars are often found flouting the order.

Many often result in fatal accidents and leaving many injured. Between January and June this year (2013), the city has reported 593 accidents in which 128 people had died and more than 450 were injured — many of them seriously.

The road safety campaign will include a Walkathon on January 12 in all district headquarters and in many important towns, slogan competition among children, display of banners, road signs, dos and don’ts in important locations, medical check-ups, eye-testing camps and free distribution of spectacles to drivers, besides others.