The 27th SIAM SAFE convention, held in Gandhinagar on 27th March, drew automakers, transport officials and safety advocates under the 'Safe Journey' banner. The agenda? Traffic enforcement, engineering standards and institutional road safety practices.
During the opening session, Pravin Gordhanji Mali, Minister of State for Forests, Environment, Climate Change and Transport, unveiled the SIAM‑SAFE context paper, "Analysing India's Imperatives for Road Safety", outlining a roadmap for safer roads. The paper highlighted the need for a data‑driven approach to road safety and called for stronger collaboration between industry and government.
A highlight for buyers was the vehicle exhibition, where ten cars and bikes from Hero MotoCorp, HMSI, TVS Motor, Mahindra & Mahindra, Skoda, Ashok Leyland/Switch Mobility, Maruti Suzuki and VE Commercial Vehicles were on display. The spread covered two‑wheelers, three‑wheelers, passenger cars and commercial vans, giving a snapshot of safety features across segments.
Officials weighed in on the need for collaboration: P R Patelia, Secretary of Roads & Buildings, noted the complexity of India's traffic mix, while Satish Patel, IAS, urged a joint effort to tackle safety. Alok Jaitley, President of SAFE and Maruti Suzuki executive, echoed that shared responsibility is key.
Looking ahead, the Ahmedabad road safety program, developed with HMSI, and the Gandhinagar awareness campaign with NID will roll out next quarter. Automakers should keep an eye on how safety tech like ABS, airbags and smart camera systems are being integrated into upcoming models.