Young Minds Develops Solutions For Road Safety

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) conceptualized and organized Toyota Hackathon on Road Safety at RV College of Engineering. Students from Grade 9th to 12thparticipated in this intense challenge to develop brainstorming solutions in support of the National Mission “Zero Fatality”. Through this initiative, TKM aims to provide a platform to encourage, motivate and engage young talents to be more aware of road safety challenges and be responsible for safety ambassadors by developing effective digital road safety solutions. While this is the second edition of the Hackathon, the first edition took place in New Delhi in December 2018. 

The event witnessed the presence of C Mallikarjun, Joint Transport Commissioner, Bangalore, Amit Kumar Saroha, Paralympian, Asian Para Games medalist & Arjun Awardee, Naveen Soni, Vice President, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Government officials and senior members from TKM. The top performers of the Hackathon were selected by eminent jury members comprising of Media, Academicians, Corporates, Government Representatives, Enforcement Agencies (Police) and Toyota experts. The top ten and the best three were awarded trophies and cash prizes. Consolation prizes were also given out to motivate the participants for their great participation spirit and churning such smart solutions for road safety challenges.

Sharing his thoughts on this program, Bhaskar Rao, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Bangalore, said, “Around 149,000 people lost their lives on Indian roads in 2018 alone. India accounts for about 2% of motor vehicles globally, yet it’s responsible for more than 11% of road traffic deaths.  Road accidents not only cause loss of lives but also deeply impact the socio-economic condition of the country. The dangers on the road impact everyone and hence is a vital topic of discussion everywhere. Children are one of the worst victims of road accidents and it is important we educate school children to prioritize road safety to ensure responsible future generation. It gives me immense pleasure to witness these young budding talents participate in this competitive platform to be the real change agent in addressing the national drive on road safety.  It is really great that safety leaders like Toyota have come forward to create such a brilliant platform for young minds to develop innovative solutions to make Indian roads safer. We would request more corporates to collaborate with the Government to make mobility safer and reliable”

Commenting on the initiative, Guest of Honor for the event,  Amit Kumar Saroha, Paralympian, Asian Para Games medalist & Arjun Awardee, said, “Road traffic injuries have been the eighth leading cause of deaths in India in 2018. Minors involved in road crash deaths were at 6.6% of the total deaths. Road Traffic Accidents have a significant social and economic impact on the individual, family, and society. It is very important that we promote Road Safety Education in school curriculum to educate the children on right road safety habits and the importance of following correct road practices at an early age.  It is a privilege to associate with Toyota for the Start Your Impossible campaign, an organization known for its safety leadership globally. I am delighted to be present in this unique platform to motivate these young change-makers who are developing such out of the box solutions to enhance road safety in India.  We have to be serious about the critical situation of road safety now to ensure safer roads for the young generation tomorrow. This Road Safety Hackathon is an effective and fun way to engage children in making a change.”

Congratulating all the participants, Naveen Soni, Vice President - Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “Road Safety is not one person responsible. It has an impact on every age group. As Safety crusaders, we believe it is our responsibility to ensure that we create a safety ecosystem integrating people, vehicles & traffic environments. Children play a vital role in spreading the message of road safety in society.  Toyota has been working closely with its dealer partners, suppliers, schools to spread safety culture amongst children, The Safety Hackathon is the continuation of similar initiatives to make children the change agents for tomorrow.  We are delighted to see the enthusiasm that the young talents have shown in being a part of this unique platform to design innovative solutions for improving road safety in India.  

Start Your Impossible (SYI) champion & Guest of Honor for the event Arjuna Awardee Paralympian Amit Saroha also enlightened the participants on the importance of road safety and the need for the right safety behavior.