MUMBAI, India – October 9, 2021

Ask any teacher around the world and they will tell you that their most important responsibility is to protect their students from danger. In India, teachers were at the forefront of safeguarding their students’ lives by attending a road safety training as part of the Safety Delivered program, supported by The UPS Foundation.

The Blossoms Sunderbai Thackersey English High School was established in 1977. The school is located at a complex zone behind an administrative building and next to S.N.D.T. University. The lane in front of the school is very crowded as it also serves as a public parking space, making it difficult for the school bus to park safely. Therefore most parents drive their children and students to and from school on their motorbikes or scooters. However, students are often traveling to school without wearing helmets, putting them at high risk.

AIP Foundation, with the support of the Western India Automobile Association (WIAA), has welcomed the School Principal, Madam Geetha Pillai, and her dedicated teachers and staff in a Zoom classroom to learn practical skills on helmet use and road safety. Schools in India recently resumed face-to-face classes after a long pause due to Covid-19 restrictions and safety.

Teachers became the students as they gained knowledge on the global road crash crises, as well as their roles and responsibilities in preventing their students from being unsafe on the streets. The training also provided an opportunity for them to increase their expertise and skills on proper helmet use, learning various head sizes measurement methods. Inspired by the training, the teachers will promote road safety to their students by imparting the life-saving skills they learned. After the training, the teachers felt better equipped to safeguard every student from the dangers of the road.

“[We want to] thank you for your informative session for us. Many teachers have said to me that it was really informative. There were a lot of points we didn’t know previously, but [whenever] an accident happens, we feel sorry for the family and for the children [and] everybody connected. However, personally, we accept the number of these [accidents], but nothing is done. It is really not simple. Such [an] initiative is very much the right time for us. It was very nice today to have this training session. [Teachers] enjoyed [it] and they can spread the message,” expressed Madam Geetha Pillai, Principal of the Blossom school.

AIP Foundation highly appreciated the efforts of Ms.Simran Virk, WIAA representative in successfully engaging the school Principal and teachers in helmets and helmet use education, as well as supporting public awareness campaigns.

Safety Delivered is a program implemented by AIP Foundation to work with primary school students and motorcyclists in high-risk areas in India, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam by educating and eliminating distracted riding behavior, as well as increasing helmet use among children.