IIT Madras and Odisha Government Collaborate on Road Safety Innovations

RBG Laboratories at IIT Madras has joined hands with the Government of Odisha to implement a data-driven, evidence-based approach to improving road safety in the state. This initiative focuses on reducing road accidents and fatalities through strategic interventions and stakeholder engagement.

The partnership is guided by RBG Labs’ “5E Model and Transportation Safety Framework” (TSF), which integrates Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Emergency Response and Empathy to design impactful road safety solutions.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 23rd December 2024 between IIT Madras RBG Labs and Department of Commerce and Transport of Odisha headed by Hon’ble Minister Shri Bibhuti Bhusan Jena.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INITIATIVES

• Conducting capacity building programs for stakeholders to adopt data-driven road safety measures.
• Improving investigative skills through human factors-based approaches such as the Root Cause Analysis Matrix (RCAM).
• Designing a comprehensive information, education and communication (IEC) campaign to promote road safety awareness among all age groups.

Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, Minister of Commerce and Transport highlighted the importance of this collaboration, stating, “This partnership with IIT Madras aligns with our vision of a safer Odisha by leveraging real-time data and modern technology for effective road safety interventions.” .

The program will focus on training police officers, transportation officials and other stakeholders in the scientific methods of accident investigation. It will also include master’s workshops for students and teachers to create responsible road users.

These workshops will use activity-based learning tools such as games, skits and puzzles to inculcate road safety values.

SCIENTIFIC ROAD SAFETY AUDITS

RBG Labs has conducted extensive human factors-based road safety audits on over 1,000 km of national highways in collaboration with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). These audits aim to identify accident-prone areas and suggest actionable interventions.

Professor V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras remarked, “Road safety is a critical challenge for India’s socio-economic development. This collaboration aims to implement innovative, technology-based solutions, from identifying accident hot spots to designing advanced emergency response systems, to make Odisha’s roads safer.”

The initiative emphasizes the use of design thinking to identify and address the human factors that contribute to road accidents.

Professor Venkatesh Balasubramanian, head of RBG Labs, added: “Our aim is to provide stakeholders with practical skills to collect, analyze and apply data to create actionable road safety strategies.”

ABOUT RBG LABS

The Rehabilitation Bioengineering Group (RBG Labs) at IIT Madras is dedicated to addressing societal challenges through interdisciplinary research, focusing on improving safety, productivity and quality of life.

Funded by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), CoERS at IIT Madras takes an integrated, evidence-based approach to road safety. It provides research-backed recommendations to improve road safety measures globally.