MUMBAI: On India’s 79th Independence Day, Times Now chose to free the roads from a different kind of tyranny, the chaos of reckless driving. Through its auto vertical, Times Drive, the channel flagged off ‘Brake The Habit’, a nationwide road safety initiative that’s turning bus shelters and billboards into stern speed-breakers for public conscience.
The campaign was officially unveiled by union minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, who praised the effort as a timely nudge against habits that kill. The statistics are chilling according to the MORTH 2022 report, India sees over 4.61 lakh accidents annually, most linked to over-speeding, drunk driving, red-light jumping, and increasingly, the deadly distraction of mobile phones behind the wheel.
Planned as a six-month drive culminating in Road Safety Week in January 2026, the campaign goes beyond finger-wagging. It blends print, outdoor, digital, and Times Network’s broadcast platforms to hammer home the message. Billboards across metros bark warnings against overspeeding, while digital activations invite citizens to vote, opine, and even share stories of lifesaving interventions that prove responsible driving is cool, not boring.
Young drivers are firmly in the crosshairs. With colleges and universities as key partners, the campaign is designed to catch drivers before bad habits harden into deadly reflexes. Early phases focus on online and on-air pushes, building towards a big on-ground crescendo during Road Safety Week.
But this isn’t just about scare tactics. ‘Brake The Habit’ also celebrates empathy spotlighting acts of road courtesy, timely rescues, and human kindness that too often go unrecognised. It reframes road safety not as a chore but as a shared responsibility and even a source of pride.
As Gadkari reminded, and as Times Now underlines: safety starts with the driver, not the car. With one reckless swipe or a single overshoot of the speedometer, lives can change forever. By hitting the brakes on bad habits, the campaign hopes India’s drivers can accelerate towards something far more liberating roads that are safe for all.
Leave a Reply