New Delhi, July 31 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday urged the Centre and state governments to launch nationwide awareness campaigns through social media and other platforms to underscore the importance of holding a valid driving licence, while also calling for stricter compliance measures and a streamlined system for issuing and renewing licences to improve road safety. Observing that thousands of motorists could face devastating financial consequences merely because of a break in the validity of their driving licences, a bench of justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh said that authorities must also urgently address issues such as regulation of driving schools, their affordability and accessibility, including making applications and tests available in regional languages. "The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways... as also the respective counterparts of the States should...undertake campaigns through all mediums such as awareness drives, social media, etc. to drive home this importance; introduce measures to ensure strict compliance; and also streamline the process of issuance/renewal of licences," said the bench. The observations came while allowing appeals filed by Reliance General Insurance Company in a motor accident compensation dispute arising from a 2009 road accident in Haryana, in which the court held that the offending vehicle's driver did not possess a valid driving licence on the date of the accident and, therefore, the insurer could not be fastened with the ultimate liability to pay compensation....