The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), in collaboration with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), has rolled out a new road safety education initiative aimed at school students across the country. The program was officially launched at KendriyaVidyalayaNo. 2 in New Delhi, with Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari (Road Transport & Highways) and Dharmendra Pradhan (Education) present at the event.
The course includes six interactive digital modules that cover everything from everyday road rules to traffic laws, designed for students from primary school through senior secondary levels. This effort is part of SIAM’s larger “सुरक्षितसफर” (Safe Journey) campaign and supports their goal of promoting responsible development across the country.
Speaking at the event, Gadkari highlighted the need to start road safety education at a young age, especially as newer laws—like seatbelt requirements for backseat passengers—become more common. He encouraged students to remind their families not to use phones while driving and mentioned efforts to make road safety a regular part of school education.
Pradhan added that road safety shouldn’t be treated as an add-on subject but as a part of everyday learning. “We have 30 crore students who can shape a safer future for India,” he said, urging Kendriya Vidyalayas to take the lead in promoting road-safe habits.
The program builds on a previous agreement signed between SIAM and KVS on August 2, 2023. After a successful pilot run at Kendriya Vidyalaya in R.K. Puram last October, SIAM moved forward with a digital learning platform that will allow schools to easily integrate these lessons into their regular curriculum.
Despite recent improvements, road accidents continue to be a major issue in India, with over 150,000 deaths reported annually. Many of these involve children and young people. With this new initiative, the auto industry and government are working together to raise awareness and build a safety-first mindset early on.
Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director at SIAM, pointed out that while India is now the world’s third-largest vehicle market, growth must come with responsibility. Vinod Aggarwal, former SIAM president, called this program “the start of a bigger movement that begins in classrooms and extends to homes and communities all over the country.”
The goal is to reach more than 1.5 million students, laying the groundwork for safer roads as India continues to grow and modernize on its path toward becoming a developed nation by 2047. SIAM, the top industry group for vehicle manufacturers in India, has long worked alongside government bodies and other partners to improve road safety and promote smart mobility for the future.
