The book is illustrated with caricatures to make it more reader friendly, Sidhu says
Fancy getting lessons in road rules from Robin Hood and Little John? Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, that is what Harman Sidhu thought when he decided to pend= the first-of-its-kind Road Safety Manual dedicated to Chandigarh.
Sidhu was inspired by the scene at the brook in which the dashing Robin Hood and the brawny Little John get into a fight over ‘right of way’. It is the title of one of the chapters in his manual with a caricature of Robin Hood and Little John engaged in a spat over the sign Right of Way between them. The chapter tells readers who has the right to first cross the road and who is duty bound to wait for his/her turn. It also dwells on lane driving and the right way to change the lane.
The 196-page manual, which was launched by Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore recently, is divided into four parts and 12 chapters, variously titled as Road Traffic injuries, Rick Factors in driving, Law and You, Highway Driving, Turning, Overtaking, Stopping, Insurance and more. Interestingly, there is a chapter on road behaviour as well.
Sidhu says, “The book is illustrated with caricatures to make it more reader friendly. There are caricatures highlighting the benefits of insurance, the way to manoeuvre roundabouts and cyclists. The book covers all the concepts of driving in an urban environment.”
With the UT traffic police introducing lane driving in Chandigarh, the book pays special attention to it. Driving on the highway is also a focus of the manual that discusses all the challenges a driver might face, right from road conditions, weather, and visibility, to the nature of
traffic.
The UT police is said to be toying with the idea of making the manual a compulsory purchase for all driving licence aspirants. The UT administrator had also said that this manual should be supplied to the drivers who appear for learner/renewal license at least 15 days in advance.