Secretary, MoRTH Urges Volunteers to Focus on Prevention of Road Accidents and Save Lives

The Centre of Excellence for Road Safety IIT Madras, established under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, conducted its first physical Sadak Suraksha Mitra (SSM) training-cum-workshop from March 16–18, 2026, in Faridabad to strengthen grassroots road safety efforts across India.

The three-day workshop brought together 53 volunteers from five states and 13 districts, focusing on building capacity in key areas such as first response to accidents, road safety audits, and administrative support for District Road Safety Committees. The initiative aims to create a youth-driven movement by equipping volunteers to actively contribute to road safety at the district level.

The programme concluded with a valedictory session in New Delhi, where V Umashankar, Secretary, MoRTH, addressed participants and emphasized the importance of preventive measures in reducing road accidents. He highlighted the need to identify root causes of accidents and implement targeted interventions to prevent recurrence.

The workshop forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional and community-level engagement in road safety, with trained volunteers expected to support district authorities in implementing safety measures and awareness initiatives across high-risk regions.