SIAM Unit SAFE Hosts 27th Annual Road Safety Convention in Gandhinagar

The Society for Automotive Fitness & Environment (SAFE), a road safety initiative under the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), hosted the 27th SAFE Annual Convention in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in collaboration with the state transport department and the Gujarat Road Safety Authority. Held under the 'Safe Journey' initiative, the conference addressed traffic enforcement, engineering standards, and institutional road safety practices.

During the inaugural session, Pravin Gordhanji Mali, Minister of State for Forests, Environment, Climate Change, and Transport, Government of Gujarat, formally released the SIAM-SAFE context paper titled "Analysing India's Imperatives for Road Safety".

The state government also announced targeted regional initiatives, including a road safety program in Ahmedabad developed with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) and a public awareness campaign in Gandhinagar partnered with the National Institute of Design (NID).

Vehicle Exhibition Showcases Two-Wheelers to Commercial Vehicles

Alongside the conference, an exhibition showcased 10 vehicles across two-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger cars, and commercial vehicles from manufacturers including Hero MotoCorp, HMSI, TVS Motor, Mahindra & Mahindra, Skoda, Ashok Leyland/Switch Mobility, Maruti Suzuki, and VE Commercial Vehicles, alongside a dedicated eye check-up mobile unit.

Industry and Government Leaders on India's Road Safety Roadmap

P R Patelia, Secretary, Roads & Buildings Department, Government of Gujarat, said, "In India, we have seven or eight different categories of vehicles on roads impacting the traffic mix, along with many other road users. The more innovative solutions we develop by brainstorming, the better equipped we will be to address our road safety challenges."

Satish Patel, IAS (Retd.), Commissioner, Gujarat Road Safety Authority, noted, "Road safety is a major challenge. It is a battle that we must fight, and we must continue fighting it. If all of us work together, put in the effort, and dedicate ourselves to this cause, we can make a real difference."

Alok Jaitley, President, SAFE and Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki India, said, "Road safety is a shared responsibility. Only when the efforts of all stakeholders come together can we move from individual interventions to an integrated road safety ecosystem."