Ahmedabad, October 26, 2026 — In a step towards strengthening road safety in Gujarat, SaveLIFE Foundation (SLF) today conducted a one-day Scientific Crash Investigation Training Programme in Ahmedabad. The training forms part of the Zero Fatality District (ZFD) Programme, implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Government of India, with technical support from SLF. It brought together 65 personnel from Ahmedabad City Police and the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Ahmedabad, to build their capacity in scientific, evidence-based investigation of road crashes.
Shri Satish Patel, IAS (Retd.), Gujarat Road Safety Authority attended the training as the Chief Guest. Shri Prashant Maguda, Joint Commissioner, Gujarat Road Safety Authority and Shri S. J. Modi, ACP, A Division Traffic attended as Guest of Honour.
Ahmedabad is one of two districts in Gujarat, along with Surat, that rank among India’s 100 highest-burden districts in terms of road crash severity. Under the ZFD Programme, both districts are receiving a targeted, holistic suite of interventions spanning the four Es of road safety, namely road engineering, traffic rules enforcement, driver education and awareness, and emergency care. The Programme is designed to help India meet its commitment under the Stockholm Declaration and the UN Sustainable Development Goals of halving road crash fatalities and injuries by 2030.
Crash investigation sits at the heart of this approach. The ZFD methodology relies on crash data to identify where, when and why crashes occur, and the quality of that data depends on how thoroughly each crash is investigated at the scene. When investigations record only the immediate cause, the underlying factors, such as road design deficiencies, vehicle condition, speed, visibility or the absence of safety equipment, are often missed. A scientific investigation captures these factors, giving authorities the evidence they need to design targeted interventions rather than relying on assumptions.
The training focused on four areas: systematic crash-scene documentation, including scene sketching, measurement and photography; the collection, preservation and interpretation of physical evidence such as skid marks, debris, vehicle damage and final rest positions; the identification of crash contributing factors across the road, vehicle and road user; and the identification of injury contributing factors, including the use of helmets and seatbelts and the role of roadside objects in the severity of injuries. Participants applied these concepts to real crash scenarios, learning how to reconstruct the sequence of events and translate their findings into recommendations for corrective action.
By strengthening evidence-based investigation practices among enforcement personnel, the programme seeks to improve the quality of crash data in Ahmedabad, support more accurate identification of crash-prone locations and high-risk behaviours, and enable the police, transport and road-owning agencies to take targeted measures that prevent similar crashes in the future.
“Every road crash holds lessons on how the next one can be prevented, but only if it is investigated thoroughly and scientifically. Our police and transport personnel are often the first to reach a crash scene, and the evidence they record shapes every decision that follows. This training equips them to look beyond the immediate cause and identify the road, vehicle and human factors behind each crash. Ahmedabad is a priority district for Gujarat, and stronger investigations will help us direct our efforts where they will save the most lives.”
— Shri Satish Patel, IAS (Retd.), Commissioner, Gujarat Road Safety Authority
“At SaveLIFE Foundation, our mission is to make India’s roads free of fatalities through evidence-based interventions and stronger enforcement. Through this training, officers gained deeper insight into crash dynamics, learnt to identify root causes of road crash fatalities, and adopted preventive measures to avert future crashes. We are grateful to Ahmedabad City Police, RTO Ahmedabad and the Gujarat Road Safety Authority for their leadership for supporting this effort.”
— Piyush Tewari, Founder & CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation
