Venue: The Quest, Besant Nagar
Date: 24th January, 2026
Jury:
Jenny Mariadhas - Poovulagin Nanbargal
S. Saroja - CAG
Nina Subramani - CAG
Road safety remains one of the most pressing public health and development challenges in our country. According to the MoRTH Road Accidents Report 2023, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents in India with 67,213 road crashes and the second highest number of fatalities, with 18,347 lives lost. Tamil Nadu has ranked first in the number of road crashes for five consecutive years, from 2018 to 2022. Among the various contributing factors, over-speeding continues to be the leading cause of road accidents. These numbers are not just statistics; they represent families affected, communities disrupted, and needless lives lost.
To open up this conversation around road safety, with young people, CAG organised an Ideathon on 24th January 2026, as part of the events to mark National Road Safety Month, observed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India. Students from various colleges were invited to explore different approaches to solving our road safety crisis that are innovative, practical, scalable, and that can contribute to safer road design, better policies, stronger enforcement and more responsible road user behaviour.
From the 21 submissions that we received, 8 teams were selected as finalists. The teams presented their ideas before a 3 member jury and then answered questions from the jury. At the end of the event, the first three teams were awarded cash prizes and the next two teams received honourable mentions.
The winner of the Ideathon was a team from Government Law College, Dharmapuri. Their strategy to reduce speed involved a three-pronged approach: engineering, technology, and awareness. Their low-cost engineering solutions included optical and transverse rumble strips to reduce speed. Their tech-based strategy included monitoring tools like multi-lane speed detection technology and integrating it with E-challan. Lastly, since highway speeding violations often involve commercial vehicles, they came up with training programmes and fleet incentive programmes to change drivers’ behaviour. Overall, their holistic approach to tackling road safety challenges was highly praised by the jury members.
The team (M.A. Mannan, M. Chandrababu, G.C. Annilai Sivaranjani, S.Mohammed Salman, K.Kalaiyarasi and B.K. Ramya Krishnan) from Government Law College, Dharmapuri was the winner of this Ideathon.
The first runner-up of the Ideathon was from The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University (SOEL), which tackled the critical issue of road safety among young drivers, often victims in road fatalities. They identified that conventional safety education is predominantly theoretical and often fails to make a lasting impression on young individuals. Their innovative solution reimagines road safety education by helping young drivers understand, experience, and remember the consequences of unsafe driving, thus promoting safer habits. To bring their vision to life, they developed an app that tracks driving patterns and provides alerts and feedback on driving behavior. Young drivers can earn safety points and certificates for demonstrating safe behaviors, which they can share on social media. The jury members praised their unique approach to fostering behavioral change among young road users.
The team (Kiruthika.S, Dhanuska Babu B.I and Thatshaini) from Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University (SOEL) were the 1st runner up of the Ideathon Event
The team from the School of Excellence in Law, Chennai, was the second runner-up and tackled the critical issue of reducing highway speeds on Tamil Nadu roads. By conducting a primary field survey, they gathered essential insights into the speeding problem. Their innovative, low-cost engineering solutions included optical speed bars, smart rumble strips and dynamic speed feedback boards. This evidence-based approach emphasised modifying driver behaviour, delivering a high-impact solution at minimal cost.
The team (Vaishnavi Selvakumar, Roopan Santhosh.A.P and Yagneshwaran T Mannaragudi) from the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University (SOEL) was the 2nd runner up of the Ideathon.
The students devised a range of innovative solutions aimed at preventing road accidents. Some key ideas included the development of a mobile application designed to reduce speeding and enhance compliance to traffic regulations. Another group proposed installing smart weight sensors to prevent multiple passengers on two-wheelers. They also suggested implementing speed sensors in electric vehicles to help control their speed.
To safeguard pedestrians and non-motorized transport (NMT) users, one team focused on infrastructure-based interventions, technology-enabled safety measures, and behavioral strategies to enhance their protection against accidents. Their proposals featured sensor-based pedestrian crossings, an affordable smart safety system for cyclists, and community-driven safety watch initiatives.
The Ideathon event demonstrated that students understood the gravity of India’s road safety crisis and were able to come up with innovative solutions to tackle it. While innovation is crucial, sustained impact will depend on collaboration between government agencies, civil societies, and communities to scale these solutions. As Tamil Nadu continues to struggle with high accident rates, initiatives like this Ideathon serve as an important reminder that empowering youth and practical interventions can pave the way towards safer and more inclusive roads for all.
One of our panelists, Jenny Mariadhas from Poovulagin Nanbargal briefing students post their presentations
The top 8 teams at the Ideathon event along with the panellists.