The Independence Day Ride with a Pledge!

Brotherhood of REO ride again this Independence day with road safety in their minds and requesting all to pledge 'organ and eye' donation.

My favourite people - my brothers and sisters the REO (Royal Enfield Owners) ride again for a cause, close to all our hearts! The REO ride, where the thump becomes the heartbeat!, rode this Independence Day, 15^th August 2014 from Vashi to Karnala Sports Academy, Panvel. The ride carried the message of “Safety and enhancing it by Eye and organ donation” cause supported by Shekhar Naidu Memorial Foundation setup by his parents in memory of Shekhar Naidu, who passed away in a road accident early this year in Pune. The foundation takes up many social causes be it educational scholarships, healthcare, old age homes, orphanages or setting up libraries to name a few and REO riders come in full support whenever needed. Noteworthy is the fact that Shekar Naidu’s parents have adopted  twin girls and are taking care of them as well as their education, thus setting and living a great example.

http://www.shekharmemorialfoundation.com/

The event was a much awaited one not only by the riders but also the general public in Mumbai & Navi Mumbai. Bullet riders assembled at Center One Mall, Vashi at 7am , by 8.30 am the riders joined the flag hosting ceremony at Assam Bhavan followed by ride flag off,  more than 1200  Royal Enfield Riders participated in this prestigious event. Special guests at the event were Royal Enfield rider from Pune Lt. Col. Sohan Roy (Retd) & Sanjay Naidu founder of Shekhar Naidu Memorial Foundation, who were in the city to participate in the Independence Day Ride with the support of  Royal Enfield Riders and paying their tribute to their fellow brother rider late, Shekhar Naidu.

The beast, Royal Enfield Bullet, is not just to pump the adrenalin rush but it makes the rider responsible, disciplined, follow brotherhood and take up social causes in a big, organized way! Nigel Rich and Steven Miranda are members of REO& other Royal Enfield Clubs, who spearhead the rides with the support of other riders.They have organized many rallies in the past. Their ‘Republic Day Rally’, ‘Independence Day Ride’ and the ‘One Ride’ in the first week of April are yearly events that carry social messages. The rides are received very well by the people, their last year Republic day Ride had a message to stop violence against women, Road safety was the message for another ride that they organized. They are cheered on with enthusiasm and have their own fan following now.

We see youngsters misusing the powerful bikes leading to accidents due to rash riding. The highways and super highways and decent roads that provide great driving experience, see such accidents almost everyday. The statistics support this, During 2008, Road Traffic Injuries (RTI) ranked fourth among the leading causes of death in the world. Nearly 1.3 million people die every year on the world's roads and 20 to 50 million people suffer non-fatal injuries, with many sustaining a disability as a result of their injury.  Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29 years and cost countries 1-3% of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Ninety-one percent of the world's fatalities on the roads occur in low-income and middle-income countries, even though these countries have approximately half of the world's vehicles. Half of those dying on the world's roads are 'vulnerable road users': Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Only 28 countries, representing 416 million people (7% of the world's population), have adequate laws that address all five behavioural risk factors (speed, drink-driving, helmets, seat-belts, and child restraints). If no action is taken, road traffic crashes are predicted to result in the deaths of around 1.9 million people annually by 2020. Hence the goal of the United Nations' Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011- 2020 is to save five million lives. 

In India, the motor vehicle population is growing at a faster rate than the economic and population growth. The surge in motorization coupled with expansion of the road network has brought with it the challenge of addressing adverse factors such as the increase in road accidents. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road traffic injuries are the sixth leading cause of death in India with a greater share of hospitalization, deaths, disabilities and socio-economic losses in the young and middle-aged population. Road traffic injuries also place a huge burden on the health sector in terms of pre-hospital and acute care and rehabilitation. 

The Bikers, through these rallies carry the message that safety and responsible riding provide the thrill and excitement of biking making the experience enjoyable and fulfilling. Speed needs to be supported with a sense of safety and responsibility.The rules they follow makes everyone to adhere to the each one of them to the T, thus making it a habit for everyone, sensitizing and educating the youngsters on road safety, check the following:

Rules that the bikers follow for the ride :-

1. Be on time for the ride.

2. Helmet for the rider and the pillion is compulsory and carry riding gears (if any).

3. Shoes or boots compulsory for the rider.

4. No overtaking amongst each other. 

5. No rash riding during the ride/ rally.

6. No breaking file, ride in a file of 2.

7. No violence during the ride.

8. Always follow the bike which is ahead of you, all the way through the rally. 

9. Headlights will be full time on.

10. Every rider should carry valid driving license along with all necessary documents.

11. Ensure that the Royal Enfield is well serviced to avoid a break down during the ride. 

     Violation of any of the above rules will disqualify the rider and he can be asked to retire from the ride. It’s a habit that can be inculcated at an early age and make road safety a way of life! 

Special mention is due to the following 

This ride was led by female riders, Betsy Miranda, Privana Shetty, Aashwani Marathe, Reena Jadhav and Nisha Rathod.

Wings Commanders: Hozefa Gilitwala, Atul Vig, Raji Shah, Pravin Yadhav, Christopher Nadar, Biren Chapaneri, Karan Sharma ,Carl Gawli, Vinod Rawat, Milind Bidave, Rakesh Pujari, Sanjay Nair, Rajiv Nair,  Suraj Lazar, Saniel Sonawane, Bhatar Choudhary, Akshay Awhad, Amrit Pal Singh and Mohit Khanna

The riders thank Mrs. Roy, Mrs. Naidu and their entire team.

Data Ref: Manisha Ruikar, National statistics of road traffic accidents in India