CHENNAI: The Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS) at IIT-Madras developed a programme that aims to curb the alarming rate of road accidents in India. The 'Data-Driven Hyperlocal Intervention' (DDHI) programme was launched by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
"The initiative, spearheaded under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), focuses on 100 high-risk districts identified through rigorous analysis of national crash data. It marks a decisive shift towards decentralised, data-backed road safety measures, empowering local authorities to implement targeted interventions," the institute said.
According to MoRTH's ‘Road Accidents in India 2022’ report, 4,61,312 accidents were reported across the country, leading to 1,68,491 fatalities and more than 4.4 lakh injuries.
While human error remains a dominant factor, many incidents stem from localised infrastructural and behavioural issues.
The DDHI initiative adopts a bottom-up strategy, empowering District Road Safety Councils (DRSCs) to design customised solutions based on local conditions, aligned with the CoERS's 5E model: Engineering, Enforcement, Education, Emergency Care, and Empathy.
CoERS, in collaboration with MoRTH and State governments, will leverage data from the electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR), supported by the Sanjaya location intelligence platform, to inform policy and interventions.
“Road safety requires a whole-of-system approach, involving stakeholders across all tiers of governance. Real change happens when data empowers district authorities to act upon specific accident hotspots. I commend IIT-Madras for developing a scientific, scalable framework and technological tools that can be readily adopted by enforcement agencies nationwide,” said Minister Gadkari during the launch event at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
MoRTH Secretary V Umashankar highlighted the importance of decentralised solutions. "Every accident tells a story, and those stories are best understood locally. This initiative empowers districts with the tools and insights needed to save lives," he said.
IIT-M director V Kamakoti reaffirmed the institution's commitment to using data science to address real-world problems, saying, "This initiative is a step towards meaningful, evidence-based change in road safety."