Date: 22nd September, 2026
Venue: Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore
Time: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) in collaboration with ConsumerVoice Coimbatore, organised a District Road Safety Conference bringing together relevant stakeholders from the district’s road safety representatives, traffic police, RTOs, emergency and trauma care faculty, civil engineers, bus and lorry drivers’ associations, media, consumer protection organisations and civil society organizations to highlight the need for a comprehensive State Road Safety Action Plan. The Conference took place on the 22nd of September at the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore.
Driven by expanding road networks and faster vehicles, India has seen a consistent rise in road crash fatalities; a constant upward trend since 2005. According to the latest report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) ‘ Road Accidents in India 2024’, crashes have gone up by 2.5% between 2023 and 2024. Tamil Nadu has recorded the highest number of road crashes (67,526) in India for seven consecutive years in 2024, with Coimbatore District alone accounting for 3657 road crashes and 1044 fatalities in 2023.
While Tamil Nadu was an early adopter of a Road Safety Policy in 2007 (even ahead of the National Road Safety Policy in 2010), an updated and structured State Road Safety Action Plan is critical to achieving the national goal of reducing road crash deaths by 50% by 2030, as part of the UN (Second Decade of Action for Road Safety Declaration) of which India is a signatory. To highlight this, Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG), hosted a multi-stakeholder workshop in collaboration with Citizen VoiceCoimbatore, at the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the 22nd of September, 2026.
District Road Safety Officer Mr. Surendran speaking about road safety in Coimbatore
Following the welcome address by Mr. C M Jayaraman, President of Citizens Voice Coimbatore, Ms.Nina Subramani, (Senior Researcher) from CAG presented about the current road safety scenario in India, Tamil Nadu and Coimbatore specifically. She explained the reasons for the occurrence of a high number of road crashes and road crash fatalities in Tamil Nadu. Mr. George Cheriyan (Consultant) from CAG presented the need for a State Road Safety Action Plan which would serve as a strong institutional framework. He examined Road Safety Action Plans in other States, looking particularly at speed as the cause of more than 70% of road crashes and fatalities. Adopting a safe systems approach, making data-driven decisions, and setting achievable targets as essential aspects of a Road Safety Action Plan was acknowledged by all speakers.
The special address was provided by the District Road Safety Officer Mr. Surendran who highlighted the struggles with road safety in Coimbatore. He emphasised that road safety is not a single official's responsibility but a collective responsibility that needs coordination between various departments if we are to bring down the number of crashes. He spoke about the importance of District Road Safety Conferences in bringing out viable solutions to achieve the goal of zero crashes and fatalities.
Superintendent of Police (Mr. Rathnam) sharing his experience with enforcement
Mr. M. Rathnam, retired Superintendent of Police, brought his experience with enforcement to the conference. He stated that in Coimbatore, the highest number of crashes occur between 8-11 am and 4-8 pm peak hours. “Pelican signals, CCTV installations and other measures have been incorporated in an attempt to bring down crashes” he said. Mr. S Viswanathan, RTO (Coimbatore North) and Mr. Poongthai from RTO (Coimbatore South) spoke about policy changes required when it comes to licensing, penalties and regulations.
Dr. David V Rajan, Orthopaedic Surgeon, MD & Chairman Ortho One Orthopaedic Hospital pointed out the encroachments and parking on footpaths, continuous road works and how these endanger pedestrians. “Pedestrians are the least respected road users in India. Accessible pedestrian infrastructure is a vital step in preventing crashes and fatalities” he said. Dr. P Aravindh M S Ortho, NRP hospital talking about management following crashes said that a safe space must be created around the victim and an ambulance called immediately. He also explained how to move a crash victim, and that poor patient handling at this stage could harm rather than help the patient. “The neck must be supported and bleeding points must be compressed. Never ever give water to a crash victim” he warned, providing important healthcare insights to ensure patient safety.
Dr. David Rajan, MD & Chairman Ortho One Orthopaedic Hospital speaking about footpath encroachments
G. Manuneethi, civil engineer from Theni known as the U-Turn Man of Tamil Nadu, emphasized how road engineering can bring down crash rates, solve congestion issues, and improve pedestrian safety. “Implementation of the roundabout and U-turn system led to decreased crash rate and saved 4 minutes in ambulance response time. A flyover cannot solve traffic congestion - so engineers need to concentrate more on the movement beneath the flyover, on the streets that are used by people” he said.
During the open forum, Bus and Lorry Associations said that they must be included in district road safety meetings. Mr. Subramaniam from Citizens Voice Coimbatore suggested that annual insurance should not be renewed unless the pending traffic penalties are paid. This would reduce the stress on the RTO and traffic police.
Audience members at the District Road Safety Conference Coimbatore in rapt attention
The event brought together representatives from key government departments, enforcement agencies, the health and education sectors, transport authorities, civil society organisations, resident welfare associations, bus owners’ association, lorry owners’ association, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and members of the general public.
The discussion reinforced that preventing road crashes requires coordinated action across sectors and sustained commitment at the district level. Designing and implementing a State Road Safety Action Plan will provide a roadmap for evidence-based interventions, stronger institutional coordination, and measurable targets. This overarching plan would also enable Coimbatore to make meaningful progress towards safer roads and contribute to Tamil Nadu's and India's road safety goals.