#GiveKidsSpace - How A Twitter Campaign Reminded Us To Rethink Children’s Safety

For all parents, our children are our world. We nurture them to the best of our abilities – best schools, best teachers, good nutrition, you name it. We move mountains and swim deep seas, to ensure that our children have a safe and happy environment to grow up in. But while negotiating these important cornerstones of a child’s upbringing, do we overlook or choose to ignore, the minor details of our child’s safety that stare us in the face?

Every morning, across India, thousands of parents bid goodbye to their children as they board a school van or a rickshaw, which remains the most popular choice of transportation for kids to school. But We bid our kids goodbye, without even paying heed to important concerns such as ‘What is the seating capacity of the vehicle?’, ‘What is the driver’s background?’, ‘Does this vehicle have a first-aid box?’, ‘How old is this vehicle?’. The ‘highest measure’ of security that we take is to have the driver’s phone number and have faith in the fact that ‘This driver picks up kids all over the neighbourhood. My child isn’t alone.’ But is this enough? Or should we do something more?

It is common, yet unknown, that the modes of transportation our children use to get to school are over-crowded. We know that three people riding a two-wheeler is unsafe, but we ignore that a school van with a seating capacity for six people, ferrying over a dozen kids is equally unsafe. An overcrowded vehicle makes children more vulnerable to injuries. And these aren’t just accidents and mishaps; even a sudden brake applied can cause a grievous injury. And with no first-aid handy, the situation becomes even more deplorable. We parents care, of course, we do. But, perhaps we have never thought of the consequences.

Nothing is more important for parents than their children’s well-being. However, while mapping every detail of their lives, why are we lacking awareness in this particular, important aspect?

Recently, Reliance General Insurance was seen making an effort on this subject with a very unique and creative Twitter campaign – #GiveKidsSpace. They used the hashtag and wrote a series of tweets without any space between the words. Many people joined the campaign and shared their experience on Twitter using the hashtag – #GiveKidsSpace

ThisIsindeedABestonehereforsure #GiveKidsSpace @RelianceGenIn

— Rajesh Kumar ⏺ (@Apna_Fundaa) November 14, 2017

The campaign with its innovative use of Twitter format and empathy drove home the point, “If reading a cramped up sentence with no space between words is inconvenient, imagine the inconvenience of the children.”

Prettysureyoutoowannatweet #GiveKidsSpace @RelianceGenIn

— Isha Saxsena (@IshaSaxsena) November 14, 2017

There are many facets of child safety, each as important as the other, and we need to discuss them more. It is good to see Reliance General Insurance call out on one of the most obvious aspects of child safety. The campaign’s creativity and the subsequent impact reminds us that while we sweat it out on the big details of our children’s lives, we often ignore the small ones that might prove fatal.

WayTooManyKidsGetHurtWhileTravelingInOverCrowdedBusesToSchoolAndNothingMuchHasBeenDoneAboutThisSoFar.KidsSafetyIsMostImportant. #GiveKidsSpace @RelianceGenIn

— Muskaan �� (@KameeniChhori) November 14, 2017

We request all parents to emphasise on preventive measures to ensure that our children go to school, to build their future, in a vehicle that is SAFE. The following steps from your side will ensure safety in the long run –

• Ask your child if the vehicle driver over speeds?
• Does your child get to sit comfortably?
• If you find the driver is overloading the vehicle, initiate a conversation with the parents of other kids, discuss with them why the problem needs attention and collectively approach the driver to strictly adhere to the legally permissible limits only.

The Logical Indian community thanks and appreciates the effort by Reliance General Insurance to create awareness among people on child safety.