Mumbai, November 25: Majority of the people have the tendency to flout safety rules, be it overtaking on the roads or crossing the railway tracks. The authorities are always struggling to make people abide by the rules and curb rising road accident incidents. Inspite of heavy fines and penalties being slapped on them, citizens keep on repeating the same mistake as old habits die hard.

Over the last few years, the authorities have, therefore, realised that they need to think of out of the box awareness initiatives to drive the message and drill it in their heads. From people dressed as Yamraj, the God of death to the latest being Bangalore Traffic police deploying mannequins in their uniform so that motorists follow traffic rules for fear of being fined.

Mannequins dressed as Traffic Policemen:

According to a Bangalore Mirror report, at present only a few police stations have been provided with the mannequins. Soon, however, four to five mannequins will be provided to each traffic police station and they will be placed at busy junctions to deter people from violating traffic rules. The mannequins will be removed after the sunset and will be used only during the day time. Authorities believe that the trick will work because most motorists notice the uniform and may not even see the face. It is thus expected that people will adhere to rules and will be more disciplined.

Yamraj carrying people crossing railway tracks:

Mumbai locals are considered as the lifeline in the city and it is also one of the main reasons for several people losing their lives in the city. Some of the common sights which people get to witness daily at the station involves-people crossing railway tracks, passengers hanging from an overcrowded compartment or trying to embark on a running train. Railways Appoint Yamraj to Pick Up and Prevent People from Crossing Train Tracks in Mumbai as Part of Awareness Campaign.

Inspite of the overbridges being present at the railway stations, people continue to cross the tracks and thus get run over by the speeding train. Earlier this month, the Railway Ministry came up with a unique idea to discourage people from crossing tracks. Pictures and videos shared on the Ministry of Railways' Twitter handle showed a man dressed as Yamraj, the Hindu God of Death stopping people and even carrying them away to prevent them from crossing the railway tracks.

Watch Video:

Lord Ganesha spreading message during Road Safety Awareness Week

Indians have this fear of Gods and taking advantage of it, Bengaluru Police used the method to deter people from flouting rules last year during the road safety awareness month.

Dancing Traffic Cop

The famous dancing traffic cop named Ranjeet Singh in Indore became an internet sensation two years back because of his Michael Jackson dance moves while directing traffic in the city. He claims that his unique style in manning traffic has helped to curb traffic violations significantly in his areas.

Road and rail safety is important to curb the number of accidental deaths every year. But when the citizens themselves have been taking their own safety too lightly, the onus is upon the authorities to instil some sense into them with the help of creative campaigns. We hope that these innovative styles and initiatives get results and people get serious when it comes to road safety.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 25, 2019 05:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).