Thursday 13 September 2012

Highway to Hell


We all love the cosmopolitan lifestyle of the city. We love to party hard, booze and a great night. The youth of the city, in particular, like to revel at the many nightlife destinations the city has to offer. Alcohol consumption is obviously a growing trend in a city like ours. Also on the rise is the trend of drunken driving cases and accidents. Many youth have lost their lives thanks to driving under the influence of alcohol, and many of these were very young! Alarmed by the rise in accidents due to drunk driving, the students of RD National College, Bandra, have started a drive ‘HIGH’way to Hell’; which aims to create awareness against drunk driving and hopefully save young lives from being wasted.


It’s apt that youth have raised voice against an issue which affects them the most. Who says the youth of this city does not understand its responsibility! These students are proving such voices wrong. Their objective is clear, spread message against drunken driving. And this initiative is no ‘blink and you miss’ affair. The students are going all out to ensure that their voice is heard by as many as possible. ‘HIGH’wayto Hell’ started out with a promotional drive on the popular Carter Road at Bandra, on the 8th of September. A car adorned by posters and slogans against drunk driving made rounds of Carter Road catching the eye of passer-by’s and driving home the message, that if you drive drunk you are only risking your life and others too.
The team

"It was more of a ‘Pledge’ drive; we really want the people of Mumbai to be aware about the perils of drunk driving. We distributed badges, stickers and also asked people to contact "Party Hard Drivers" (PHD) drivers when needed. We asked them to sign a pledge which states that they will not drive under the influence of alcohol", says Disha Jain, team member. The student initiative is supported by PHD. PHD is an organization that takes the responsibility of providing safe and responsible chauffeurs. They ensure that you need not worry about how to get home after a couple of drinks. PHD assures you a safe drive home! This company’s aim is to ensure that you have a great party every time you go out!
The drive at Carter Road, Bandra

The HIGHway to Hell team has also come out with a song to promote their initiative. The band ‘Wajood’ has specially recorded a song ‘Bewdaas’ for this cause. The video featuring the band has already gone viral on Facebook. They even had the vocalist of the band, Faraz Sohail, play the song for the people who signed up their pledge at Carter Road on 8th Sept. The song was also broadcast on a popular radio station. After the success of the song, the team has now come out with video interviews of Mr. Vijay Simah (sobriety campaigner, recently seen on Satya Mev Jayate) and Vir Das, popular Indian stand-up comedian and actor speaking about drunk driving and the campaign ‘HIGH’way to hell.
Wajood vocalist faraz Sohail playing the song Bewdaas during the drive

As per the Mumbai traffic police, from 1st Jan till 5th Sep, 2012 3263 drivers have been sent to simple imprisonment for drunk driving within our city in. Till today 83250 cases of Drunk Driving registered by Mumbai Traffic Police in Mumbai City .We want to bring a standstill to Drunk Driving and these promotional activities will surely help us in our fight and also ensure sober driving." concludes the team of 'HIGH'way To Hell. It’s really heartening to see these students take up the fight against drunk driving. Hopefully, they will inspire others to take up similar causes and help rid the city of its other ailments. We wish them all the best and hope them that they continue to work with the same zeal until this menace is brought under control. 

You can check out the video - Bewdaas by Wajood here

You can check out their Facebook  page for more details - here

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