Cuttack: In a significant step towards strengthening road safety and reducing road crash fatalities, the Odisha Police organised a one-day road safety and crash investigation training programme at the Office of the Inspector General of Police, Central Range, in Cuttack.

The programme was conducted under the supervision of Satyajit Naik, IGP, Central Range, in coordination with the State Transport Authority (STA), Odisha.

The programme brought together police officers and road safety stakeholders with technical experts from IIT Madras, who are serving as the Technical Consultants to STA, Odisha. The participation of experts from IIT Madras provided the officers with specialised technical knowledge and practical insights into scientific road crash investigation and road safety management.

The training focused on developing a systematic and scientific approach to crash investigation, covering crash scene examination, identification of contributing factors, scientific collection and preservation of evidence, crash reconstruction, analysis of crash circumstances and preparation of investigation reports. Emphasis was also laid on converting crash investigation findings into actionable preventive measures.

Strengthening the Road Safety Ecosystem

Road safety continues to be a key priority for the state government, with Odisha Police and the State Transport Authority working together to strengthen prevention, enforcement, investigation, data analysis and inter-agency coordination.

The STA has been undertaking several initiatives to promote a data-driven and technology-enabled approach to road safety, including strengthening road safety data management, developing the Road Safety Dashboard, improving coordination among stakeholder departments and promoting evidence-based interventions for accident prevention.

The integration of reliable crash data with scientific investigation can help identify accident patterns, vulnerable locations and contributing factors, enabling concerned agencies to design more targeted and effective road safety interventions.

IIT Madras Expertise for Scientific Crash Investigation

The technical sessions were conducted by resource persons from IIT Madras, the technical consultants to STA, Odisha. The experts shared their knowledge and field-oriented approaches to scientific crash investigation, enabling participating officers to better understand the technical and analytical dimensions of road crashes.

The training emphasised that effective crash investigation should go beyond determining immediate causes and should also identify road engineering deficiencies, vehicle-related factors, human factors and other contributing circumstances that may have played a role in a crash.

Addressing the participants, the IGP said, “Every road crash provides valuable information about the gaps that need to be addressed. A scientific investigation helps us understand those gaps and enables us to take appropriate preventive measures so that similar crashes can be avoided in the future.”

He further emphasised the importance of coordination between the Police, Transport authorities, road-owning agencies and technical experts in translating crash findings into effective preventive action.

‘Road Safety is a Shared Responsibility’

The Valedictory Ceremony was graced by Amitabh Thakur, Transport Commissioner-cum-Chairman, State Transport Authority, Odisha, as the Chief Guest.

Addressing the gathering, Thakur highlighted the importance of scientific investigation, technology and coordinated action in strengthening road safety.

“Road safety is a shared responsibility. Scientific investigation, reliable data and coordinated action by all stakeholders are essential to identify the real causes of crashes and develop effective preventive measures,” he said.

Thakur also encouraged the participating officers to utilise the knowledge gained during the training in their field responsibilities and contribute towards a stronger road safety ecosystem in Odisha.

The one-day programme provided participating officers with practical knowledge and technical insights into scientific crash investigation and reinforced the importance of linking crash investigation, data analysis and preventive road safety measures.