Introductory Workshop on Design Thinking for Road Safety Solutions

(For Students of Classes 9 and 11)

Road traffic crashes continue to be a major public safety concern in India, with 25.4% of fatalities involving individuals below the age of 25. Evidence indicates that early behavioural interventions through structured and experiential learning play a critical role in shaping long-term safe road behaviour.

The Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, established by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), is organising an Introductory Workshop on Design Thinking for Road Safety Solutions for school students of Classes 9 and 11, as part of National Road Safety Month 2026.

This workshop is conducted under CoERS’ “Training Young Minds” initiative – an Activity-Based Learning (ABL) pedagogy aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The initiative has reached over 560 schools, promoting experiential learning on road safety among children and adolescents.

About the Workshop

The workshop introduces students to design thinking as a structured approach to problem-solving, with specific application to real-world road safety challenges. It focuses on developing students’ ability to observe road environments systematically, identify behavioural and contextual safety issues, and analyse contributing factors to road risk.

Through guided classroom sessions and supervised field observation, students will be trained in structured observation techniques and methods for documenting their findings. The workshop further emphasises synthesis of observations, enabling students to translate their learnings into clear insights and communicate them in a structured and logical manner.

The programme follows an Activity-Based Learning (ABL) approach in alignment with NEP 2020, emphasising experiential learning, analytical thinking, and reflective reasoning. The workshop does not involve technical or engineering design, and instead focuses on thinking, observation, and problem framing as foundational skills for responsible road use.

Eligibility and Nomination

• School students from Classes 9 and 11
• Two students per school (one from each class)
• One accompanying teacher per school

Schools are requested to nominate students who demonstrate interest and aptitude in analytical thinking, observation, and problem-solving.

Workshop Details

Date: 20 January 2026
Occasion: National Road Safety Month 2026
Venue: Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras
Duration: One day

Refreshments and training materials will be provided to participants.

Tentative Agenda

09:00 – 09:15 Registration
09:15 – 09:18 Tamil Thai Vazhthu
09:18 – 09:20 Vande Mataram
09:20 – 09:25 Welcome Address
        Prof. Venkatesh Balasubramanian
        Head, Centre of Excellence for Road Safety, IIT Madras
09:25 – 09:30 Special Address by Guests of Honour
09:30 – 10:30 Introduction to Design Thinking
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 12:00 Tools and Techniques for Structured Observation
12:00 – 12:30 Planning for Field Observation
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 15:30 Field Observation and Live Problem Solving
15:30 – 16:45 Synthesis, Preparation, and Presentation of Observations & Solutions
16:45 – 17:00 Valedictory Ceremony

Registration

Registration Link:
🔗 https://forms.office.com/r/nMy6EQ0tbT