SBI General Insurance's road safety message

'Right to Walk', the public service campaign that is being promoted online, invites youngsters to participate in a short film contest on road safety and safety of pedestrians.

In a bid to reclaim pavements and footpaths and assert the right of pedestrians, SBI General Insurance has launched a public service initiative called 'Right to Walk'. As part of the initiative, the company has announced a short film competition on the same theme.

'Right to Walk' was kick-started as part of the 25th edition of National Road Safety Week on January 11. Since pedestrians are the primary victims of most road accidents in the country, the campaign intends to sensitise people about the need for walking space on roads and create behavioural change among vehicle owners, especially two-wheelers that often take to pavements during traffic.

To demonstrate this point, SBI General created a YouTube video and encouraged people to send 5-minute short films promoting road safety and well-being of pedestrians. The pan India public service initiative's focus is on young drivers, especially college goers, to take part in the contest and educate about road safety measures in an interesting way.

Shamiana, a Mumbai-based short film club with reach across the country, has supported the campaign by asking youngsters in colleges, film institutes and short film clubs to join the contest. It is also being heavily promoted on social media.

Participants can upload the videos on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube under the 'Right to Walk' title. The contest will be judged by a panel selected by Shamiana, along with road safety experts. The three best films will be awarded with cash prize of Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000, respectively. The winners will be announced in March. The last date for submission of entries is February 10.

Explaining the thought behind the initiative, B J Sarma, managing director and CEO, SBI General, says that SBI had got into general insurance around three years ago and "it was only a matter of right time to roll out this initiative". In the past three years, the focus was on sales, distribution and getting the infrastructure in place, he adds.

The initiative is complimentary to the business of SBI General Insurance and the company plans to sustain it in various forms, Sarma says, adding that the campaign matches the overall brand promise of the company.

He further informs that there will be outdoor promotions in Mumbai, Delhi, Baroda, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, where Shamiana has presence.

SBI General Insurance is a joint venture between State Bank of India and Insurance Australia Group. The company customers are divided as retail, corporate and mid to large size companies and SME segments. Health, motor, home, fire, marine, package construction and engineering, and group health are some of the types of insurances offered by the brand.