A National Scientific Road Safety Conclave was held on Monday at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), and it was attended by representatives of the industry and the Indian government’s Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The event also saw the start of a hackathon to create a system to increase traffic safety and a prototype licencing system for people applying for driving licences.
Professor V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, spoke at the opening session, “Road safety is getting collaborative with technology. However, each road, each region, and city has its own DNA. To create such a scenario in a simulator is the biggest challenge. Training drivers is the most important thing in road safety and school bus drivers is a good start. Children see them driving the most and are impacted by it.”
There was a panel discussion on driving behaviour and road safety. On-Demand Driver Training was the topic of a second panel session. The Tamil Nadu Special Task Force imparted their knowledge of the scientific method to enforcing traffic laws.
According to the press release, a new driver licencing procedure known as “3 Gate Licensing” (3GL) has been introduced, and it offers an objective method of assessing drivers’ behaviour, their familiarity with road safety, and their driving etiquette before they are granted a valid driving licence. A “Train the Trainer” programme was launched for school bus drivers with the goal of teaching impressionable children about road safety and having them spread the word.
