IIT Madras and Ford Collaborate to Train and Empower Young Drivers

IIT Madras has partnered with Ford to equip thousands of students from 240 schools across Tamil Nadu with essential road safety knowledge and skills, facilitated through master trainers.

IIT Madras and Ford Collaborate to Train and Empower Young Drivers

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras' Center of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS) is collaborating with Ford to tackle the rising concern of road accidents involving young drivers. This initiative aims to train the next generation by equipping thousands of students from 240 schools across Tamil Nadu with essential road safety knowledge and skills through master trainers. As per a Report on ‘Road Accidents in India 2022’ by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), as many as 42,878 out of a total of 1,68,491 fatal road accident victims in 2022 were under 25 years.

Instilling road safety at an early age helps ensure that safe habits become second nature, ultimately saving lives on the roads. To achieve this, the program by IIT Madras and Ford emphasizes practical training, promoting responsible driving behaviours. As part of this collaboration, the Center of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS) at IIT Madras and Ford signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on August 30, 2024. As a part of this, capacity-building training sessions will be held for teachers, traffic wardens, and traffic police personnel on road safety from human behaviour perspectives.

These trained individuals will conduct additional training programs within their respective schools and traffic jurisdictions, creating a ripple effect in improving driving practices, adherence to traffic rules, and hazard awareness. By educating young drivers, CoERS and Ford aim to reduce accidents and foster a safer future for all road users.

Prof. V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras is committed to driving social change through various initiatives. Engaging the younger generation in these efforts is crucial for fostering a culture of safety on the roads. We have previously worked on improving driver behaviour, and through this initiative, we aim to sensitize the younger generation—the drivers of tomorrow—towards safer driving practices.”

Further, Mr. Sreenivasan Janakiraman, CSR Head, Ford, said, “Our focus is on empowering educators to foster a culture of road safety, ensuring that the students and the young riders are equipped with the knowledge and skills to navigate the roads safely. This collaboration with CoERS, IIT Madras to inculcate Activity Based Learning Pedagogy helps nurture the next generation of safe drivers.”

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