JK Tyre-Constitution Club Car Rally Promotes Road Safety in New Delhi

The 9th edition of the JK Tyre-Constitution Club of India Car Rally was flagged off on Sunday from the Constitution Club premises in New Delhi. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, served as Chief Guest, alongside JK Tyre & Industries Managing Director Anshuman Singhania.

More than 50 parliamentarians participated in the rally, including Anurag Thakur, Nishikant Dubey, and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, along with bureaucrats, journalists, and members of the armed forces. The participants drove their personal vehicles through a carefully planned route highlighting New Delhi's landmarks.

The event specifically focused on road safety awareness, with participants stopping at Traffic Park to review fundamental driving rules and test their knowledge of road safety signs. The rally also featured displays of classic and vintage cars.

Speaking at the event, Rijiju emphasized the importance of such rallies in creating awareness about road safety not only for parliamentarians but for all citizens. "These types of rallies are essential to create awareness and promote road safety for the people of the country in general," he said.

Singhania noted that road safety goes beyond following rules and is ultimately about saving lives. "With the expanding network of Indian roads and national highways, the need to reinforce the message of road safety has become even more critical," he stated, adding that JK Tyre has been dedicated to this cause for over three decades.

The rally followed the Time, Speed, Distance (TSD) format, which emphasizes precision over speed to encourage disciplined driving. Each team consisted of a driver and navigator, with routes and speeds set within legal limits to ensure adherence to traffic regulations.

According to government data, India has the second-largest road network globally, with infrastructure ranging from modern highways to narrow, unpaved roads. Road accidents remain a significant concern, with common causes including speeding, mobile phone use while driving, not wearing helmets or seatbelts, and unauthorized highway access.

The event paid tribute to parliamentarians who died in road accidents, including former President Giani Zail Singh, Union Ministers Rajesh Pilot, Sahib Singh Verma, Yerrannaidu, and Gopinath Munde, among others.

Constitution Club Secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Mann Ki Baat" message on road accidents and mentioned the Ministry's multi-pronged efforts to strengthen automobile safety standards and improve road infrastructure under Modi and Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari.

The rally received support from several corporations, including IOCL, GAIL, Union Bank of India, Patanjali Ayurved Limited, and the Airports Authority of India. The day was scheduled to conclude with a prize distribution ceremony at the Constitution Club, with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Anshuman Singhania presenting awards to the winners.

JK Tyre & Industries, the event's primary sponsor, is among the top 20 tire manufacturers globally with 11 manufacturing facilities in India and Mexico, producing approximately 35 million tires annually. The company pioneered radial technology in India in 1977 and has been recognized for its environmental, social, and governance practices.