Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras are developing data-driven strategies to enhance road safety in the State.
On Wednesday, along with National Health Mission, the Institute’s Centre of Excellence for Human Factors and Safety Science at RBG Labs organised a day-long workshop to develop an action plan.
Rise in road fatalities
In 2020, the State had achieved a Sustainable Development Goal target by reducing deaths due to accident by 50%, but in 2021, there had been a steady rise in the number of road fatalities.
Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said coordinated knowledge sharing session among all road safety stakeholders in the State would be a pathway to continuously evolve successful road safety policies.
The programme envisages long-term policies and strategies for an accident-free State. Short-term strategies to improve road safety and minimise road traffic accidents from November to January 2022, are on the anvil.
Venkatesh Balasubramanian, faculty in-charge of Centre of Excellence for Human Factors and Safety Science, said roads were shared assets and the safety on them was a collective responsibility of all stakeholders.
The stakeholders are expected to come up with action points and key performance indicators; and modalities for sharing and using the available data for collective action.