Chennai: IIT Madras' Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS) conducted a 'Principals' Conclave' as part of its 'Training Young Minds' project to enhance road safety education among students.

The event, held on 30th January, brought together school heads to discuss equipping young drivers with essential skills.

With India recording the highest number of road crash fatalities globally, the conclave emphasized the need for early intervention. According to 2022 data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 83.4% of road crash fatalities involved individuals aged 18-60.

IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti highlighted the socio-economic impact of road fatalities and stressed the role of schools in shaping responsible drivers. Principal Secretary for Transport and Road Safety, Shunchonngam Jatak Chiru, IAS, underscored the influence of educators in promoting road safety.

The CoERS initiative, supported by Ford, focuses on training teachers and traffic wardens using activity-based learning. Since 2024, it has trained 850 trainers across 320 schools, impacting over 2,400 students. A panel discussion explored integrating road safety into curricula and leveraging technology for awareness.

The conclave reinforced the need for collaborative efforts to foster safer road practices among future generations.