About IRTE

The Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE), a non-profit research organisation established in 1991, is the country’s premier resource for capacity building in all domains of traffic management and road safety. IRTE has been training police officers (both for the Indian Police Services and the State Police Service), officials of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, paramilitary forces, newly appointed judges, highway & PWD engineers, driver trainers and drivers, transport officials, and motor licencing officers across India.

Since its inception, IRTE has delivered several important initiatives that have received national recognition from the Indian government as well as the corporate sector. Among these research-based initiatives are the Traffic Enforcement Vehicles (Interceptor), Mobile Crash Investigation & Road Safety Research Laboratory (CrashLab), the School Conclave Programme for teaching road safety in schools, the National Highway Road Safety Literacy Programme, Journey Risk Management (JRM), the Student Traffic Volunteers Scholarship Scheme, and the bottom-up approach in interactive driver training systems.

IRTE has been conferred many national and international awards, including the first National Road Safety Award in 2000, by the Government of India and the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award (2001), presented to IRTE for the first time outside of the United Kingdom. 

IRTE is a member of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration and the Towards Zero Foundation. IRTE has earned roster consultative status from the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2010. IRTE has also been participating as an observer at the Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety (WP1) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The IRTE and UNECE have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Geneva on the occasion of the 76th session of the Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety to promote road safety in India and Southeast Asia. 

In 2010, IRTE established the College of Traffic Management (CTM), which has been recognized as the Centre of Excellence in Road Safety for Southeast Asia. 

College of Traffic Management
Training
  • Imparted post-license training to over 8,00,000 Commercial Vehicle drivers with Pre & Post assessments.
  • Training of IPS Officers (probationers of the SVP National Police Academy) in Traffic Management since 2001.
  • Conducted more than 50 courses for the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in Traffic Management and Road Accident Investigation for road transport officers, highway engineers, and police.
  • Conducted over 85 courses for BPR&D, Ministry of Home Affairs, for police officers in the subject of accident investigation.
  • Conducted 11 courses in traffic management and accident investigation for Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Tanzania, with support from the Ministry of External Affairs.
  • Conducted training for traffic police in 65 cities Under the "Road to Safety" initiative, which was launched by Mr. Nitin Gadkari, the Honourable Transport Minister, in 2014
  • Conducting training of the Military Police of the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy since 2008.
  • Conducted training session on “Road Accident Investigation and road safety management” at Maharashtra Judicial Academy
Legal Instruments:
  • Rohit Baluja is the Observer for South East Asia at the United Nations' Global Forum for Road Safety (WP-1). By virtue of our experience, the IRTE supported the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the drafting of the Motor Vehicles (Driving) Regulations 2017 on a pro-bono basis.
  • IRTE had been requested by the United Nations Global Forum to support the Forum towards the development of a code of safe practises for the use of powered two-wheelers in the Southeast Asian Region.
  • IRTE, in partnership with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, has developed the Draft Code of Practice for Safe Taxi Operation in India as well as the Draft Policy for the Safety of Transporting School Children in All Modes of Transport.
Programs

Student Traffic Volunteers Scholarship Scheme (STVS)

This was the first scheme that enrolled college students to participate in traffic management with the police while being awarded a fee that would help them continue their education. Awarded the Prince Michael International Award in London in 2001, recognising the unique initiative.

School Conclave

Teachers' Training Programme for road safety in schools. IRTE has developed a module and methodology to teach road safety education through the pre-existing subjects of the curriculum. Such education should therefore respect the NCERT principles of cognitive, content, historical, environmental, and ethical validity. Education must also address the current state of affairs.

Journey Risk Management (JRM)

This programme was initiated in response to a call from the oil industry to bring safety to their transportation: a thorough examination of the roadway system, including the FIRs of serious and fatal crashes, engineering flaws, and road user behavior, and supported by all facilities and systems available along the route.

Highway Literacy Program

This was developed primarily for the NHAI, to bring a system of road safety education to the villages along national and state highways. This would be done based upon safety audits, suggesting engineering improvements, and also training the police along the route.

Towards Responsible Youth

University Students Awareness Programme in Road Safety has been initiated to create awareness amongst university students about driving regulations, techniques of defensive driving, the importance of seat belts and helmets, and the dangers of drunken driving.

Adoption of Cities & Highways
  • On the invitation of Dr. Kiran Bedi, Hon, Lt. Governor of Pondicherry, the IRTE adopted the Union Territory of Pondicherry for capacity building in road safety management from October 2018 to May 2020. Our contribution, which was supported by Diageo India Ltd, was aimed at training police and highway engineers, conducting road safety audits, developing a road accident data base, and devising an enforcement strategy. This has resulted in a reduction of road accident fatalities of over 21% in the calendar year 2019.
  • In 2019, the IRTE and the Haryana Police signed a memorandum of understanding for the IRTE to adopt the 183-kilometer National Highway 44 (Delhi to Ambala) on a pro bono basis, as well as to train police trainers in the domains of road safety management and accident investigation.
  • With the ideology of a Safe Systems Approach, IRTE developed a sustainable safety enabling plan for the NH corridor—276 km from Shambhu Border (Ambala) to Wagah Border (Amritsar).