Date: 23rd September, 2026
Venue: Rahmath Banquet Hall, Chengalpattu
Time: 10:00 am to 1:30 pm
Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) in collaboration with Annai Theresa Trust organised a District Road Safety Conference bringing together relevant stakeholders from Chengalpattu District’s Road Safety Committee, Transport Associations, Legal personnel, Commissionerate of Police, educators in healthcare, consumer protection organisations, media and civil society organisations to highlight the need for a comprehensive State Road Safety Action Plan. The Conference took place on the 23rd of September 2026, at Rahmath Banquet Hall, Chengalpattu.
India has seen a consistent rise in road crash fatalities since 2005, with road crash fatalities having increased by 2.5% in 2024 compared to 2023. Tamil Nadu has recorded the highest number of road crashes (67,526 in 2024) in India for seven consecutive years in 2024, with Chengalpattu District alone accounting for 3402 road crashes and 936 recorded road crash fatalities in the year 2023 according to the latest data provided by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). This is a worrying statistic especially given that Tamil Nadu was the first state to adopt a Road Safety Policy in 2007, 3 years ahead of the National Road Safety Policy. However, while states like Kerala and Gujarat have implemented their Road Safety Action Plan, Tamil Nadu still has not done so and lags behind with 19 of the 100 Districts that account for the most number of road crashes in the country present here. There is therefore an urgency to establish a Road Safety Action Plan that can convert the state’s Road Safety Policy into reality and the Chengalpattu District Road Safety Conference was a step in that direction.
Mr. Theresa Kumar, founder of Annai Theresa Trust gave the inaugural address in which he called the District Road Safety Conference in Chengalpattu a historic step in saving lives on the road.
Mr. Theresa Kumar (Founder of Annai Theresa Trust) delivering the Inaugural Address
The welcome address was delivered by Mohan, consultant at CAG, followed by a presentation by Ms. Divya Arvind (Researcher - CAG) who explained the current road safety scenario in India, Tamil Nadu and Chengalpattu specifically. Ms. Kavipriya (Researcher) from CAG followed this by presenting on the need for a State Road Safety Action Plan which has the potential to convert policy into action. She examined Road Safety Action Plans in other states, particularly in the context of speed as the cause of more than 70% of road crashes and fatalities.
Mr. Mohan (Consultant, CAG) delivering the welcome address
Lawyer and ex-Vice President of the Bar Council of Chengalpattu, Ms. Josephine Vijay followed the presentations by CAG with her legal experience where road safety might be seen as an obvious objective, but one we are not actively working towards in order to translate into reality.
“Road safety is a matter of a mother’s, father’s, and worker's future. Although our licenses provide us a right to the road, we must exercise it responsibly” she said. Mr. Nelson Raj, Senior Advocate followed Ms. Josephine Vijay to elaborate the importance of helmet compliance as a simple way to reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities.
Mr. Madura Ranganathan, a long standing member of the Chengalpattu District Road Safety Committee and the General Secretary of Education on Human Rights spoke about speeding, careless driving, the importance of following road rules and his experience as a member of the District Road Safety Committee. Dr. S. Manoharan, Safety Auditor as approved by Ministry of Labour & government of India spoke about how speeding is the major cause of road crashes. He also emphasised on the need for well-maintained vehicles as a safety feature.
Advocate and ex-Vice President of Chengalpattu Bar Council Ms. Josephine Vijay speaking about enforcement as a crucial aspect of road safety
Mr. Karthik Ganesh, Inspector of Police, Chengalpattu spoke about several measures taken by his department, such as distributing helmets annually and awareness programmes, to prevent crashes. “We need to start by educating children on road safety from a young age to prevent road accidents. We need to make the public aware of their safe behaviours, ” he said.
The conference was enhanced by the presence of the Tamil Nadu State General Secretary of Lorry Driver’s Association, Mr. Singai Ganesh, who, when commenting on the more than 17,000 fatalities in Tamil Nadu, asked ‘what is the situation of these 17,000 families in the state? We must address this on a war-footing”. Streetlights, signals, traffic police and signage are crucial elements of the road that are often missing, he said. He also encouraged participants to spread the message of road safety to create a crash free Tamil Nadu.
Participants at the District Road Safety Conference in Chengalpattu
The District Conference brought together representatives from trade associations, legal background, road safety, police departments, several consumer protection organisations, vernacular media and civil society organisations in Chengalpattu. The diverse participation enabled discussions on road safety that covered broader questions and solutions. While the misconception that Road Safety is a matter of individual responsibility still persists, the conference was a starting point in raising awareness about the role that infrastructure and enforcement must play highlighting the need for the district’s cooperation in asking for and implementing a State Road Safety Action Plan that will provide a roadmap for evidence based interventions, improved interdepartmental coordination and measurable targets.
The conference concluded with a pledge on responsible individual behaviour to bring about safer roads.