CHENNAI/SHIMLA:  With road accidents on the rise, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has taken a  step towards road safety by introducing a groundbreaking 'Three-Step Training Process' (3STP) for driver training that aims at bring about a culture of safe autonomous driving on roads across India.

The initiative comes as a response to alarming accident data, which shows that over 4.12 lakh accidents occurred in India in a year.

In Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, on an average more than 1000 people are killed in the road fatalities every year , with human error being the main culprit.  

In road accidents in India,  human error contributes to more than 80% of these incidents, according to the latest report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The 3STP was unveiled at an event on 'Capacity Building and Quality Standards for Driver Training – Factoring the Human in the Journey for Safe Roads.

Drivers were trained in safe driving concepts, hazard perception, and driving etiquette which will go a long way in having an impact on the minds of school and college-going children who will be drivers in the near future.

It aims to bridge the gap between actual trainers in Driver Training Institutes and the capacity of schools to effectively evaluate drivers' knowledge, skills, and practices.

Under the program, driver training institutes and schools will undergo a lean methodology audit, capacity building, and rating to ensure they impart the required training effectively.

The move is expected to bring a more organized structure to the institutes and introduce a wide range of vocational training, thus creating employment opportunities for skilled trainers as well.

Talking about the impact of 3STPs in Tamil Nadu, Thiru Shankar Jiwal, IPS, Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu Police, commended the initiative and emphasized the positive impact of reducing accidents, leading to savings in lives, limb, and even on the GDP due to reduced vehicle damages and police paperwork. There is a drop from 11 per cent to eight percent in Tamil Nadu in road accidents, he added. 

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Faculty Head of CoERS-IIT Madras, stressed the crucial role of human factors in designing effective systems and products to improve driver skills in India.

The 3STP initiative is set to be a game-changer in tackling road safety challenges by empowering drivers with better training and knowledge facilitating autonomous driving, said Director IIT Madras. With this proactive approach, IIT Madras aims to curb road accidents and promote safer roads for all.

The Centre of Excellence in Road Safety (CoERS) at IIT Madras is funded by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Government of India, to perform evidence-based integrated approach to Road Safety. CoERS works on various aspects of human factors engineering, road engineering, vehicle engineering, trauma care and education to bring about significant improvements in road safety globally.