Chennai: IIT Madras' Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS) has partnered with Ford to address the rising concern of road accidents involving young drivers.

The collaboration aims to train students from 240 schools across Tamil Nadu, equipping them with essential road safety knowledge and skills.

The initiative is critical as the 2022 report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) revealed that 42,878 of the 1,68,491 road accident fatalities were under 25 years of age. By instilling road safety practices early, the program aims to foster responsible driving behaviors, creating a safer future for all road users.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on August 30, 2024, at IIT Madras to launch the program.

Master trainers will train teachers, traffic wardens, and police personnel, who will then disseminate this knowledge to students, creating a multiplier effect in road safety education.

Prof. V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, emphasized the importance of engaging the younger generation in road safety efforts. Mr. Sreenivasan Janakiraman, CSR Head at Ford, highlighted the collaboration's focus on empowering educators to foster a culture of safety among young drivers.

This program seeks to reduce accidents and ensure safer roads through early education and behavioral change.