By Rajkiran Kanagala, President & Chief Business Officer, Transport Corporation of India Limited (TCI)
One evening, while returning home from the office, I noticed a young boy, barely in his early twenties, walking along the roadside, eyes fixed on his mobile phone, completely absorbed in the phone. It was just a few seconds of distraction. The kind we all underestimate.
At the same moment, an SUV came rushing down the road, over-speeding, honking relentlessly, zig-zagging through peak-hour traffic the boy just didn’t notice the car, whilst crossing immersed in his phone. The accident was unavoidable!
Within moments, the road turned chaotic. The boy lay injured, motionless in shock. The driver, badly hurt, struggled to step out of the vehicle. Lives were not lost that day, but lives were permanently altered.
That night, sleep did not come easily.
One question kept returning to me: Whose mistake was it?
The boy who chose his screen over his surroundings?
Or the driver who chose speed over safety, believing a few saved minutes mattered more?
Did the driver reach home on time?
Did the boy get the entertainment he was seeking?
No! A BIG NO!
Instead, both were left with injuries, trauma, and consequences that would follow them for years.
In India, we often justify risky behaviour with blind faith:
“भगवानसाथहै।सबचलताहै।
But faith cannot replace responsibility.
On the road, belief without discipline is not devotion—it is negligence.
“सड़कमाफ़नहींकरती, गलतीकीसज़ादेतीहै।”
This incident is not an exception. It is a mirror of our everyday behaviour. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 2023 recorded nearly 4.8 lakh road accidents, with a staggering number resulting in serious injuries and lifelong disabilities. Nearly 70% were caused by over-speeding, and most occurred on straight roads, not sharp curves or poorly designed junctions.
The truth is uncomfortable but clear: India’s biggest road hazard is not infrastructure. It is behaviour.
Every accident leaves a ripple effect. Families are pushed into emotional and financial distress. Careers are disrupted. Children watch their parents suffer. Lives continue but never in the same way again. And yet, we continue to treat road safety casually, as if it is someone else’s responsibility.
If real change has to happen, it must begin early in life.
Children are the strongest influencers within families and communities. What they learn, they question. What they practice, they remind others of. When road safety, discipline, and responsibility are taught at a young age, they don’t remain rules—they become habits.
A child who insists on wearing a helmet influences the parent.
A child who understands traffic signals corrects the family.
A child who learns safety early grows into a responsible citizen.
Behavioural change is most effective when it is built young.
At TCI, this belief led us to initiate “TCI Safe Safar”—a step toward shaping safer behaviour on Indian roads.
Through NukkadNataks and direct engagement, we take road safety messages to the transport community, because awareness leads to reflection and reflection leads to change.
Over time, the initiative has grown in scale and impact:
• 1.27 million+ people reached across the country
• 1.33 lakh+ safety pledges taken, turning intent into commitment
• 1.14 lakh+ kilometres travelled to take the message beyond boardrooms
• 47,000 drivers educated, reinforcing discipline behind the wheel
• 1,100+ corporate engagements, embedding safety into organisational culture
But one organization, one campaign, or one policy is not enough.
The real change begins with each one of us and with what we teach the next generation.
“आपसुरक्षितरहेंगे, तभीदूसरासुरक्षितरहेगा।”
Slow down.
Look up.
Follow rules—not out of fear, but out of respect for life and for those who share the road with us.
Because on the road few seconds of responsibility or irresponsibility is what which will make or break one’s life.
(Views Published in this article are of the author.)
