1 month ago
Retired Civil Servants Launch Road Safety Initiative
A group of retired civil servants in Chennai started an organization called SPRA to make roads safer.
They noticed that many accidents happen because drivers aren't trained well and roads aren't safe.
They are doing things like checking drivers' eyesight and teaching people about safe driving through comic strips.
They also want to work with the government to improve roads and signs.
The group was started by a man named Ravi Garyali, and now his sister and other retired officials are leading it.
They had a special day to remember the founder and talked about their plans to make roads safer for everyone.
SPRA was founded in 2022 by Ravi Garyali to address road safety issues in Tamil Nadu.
The organization was revived in 2025 by Garyali's sister, C K Garyali, with a board of retired civil servants and social workers.
SPRA conducted a free eye camp for drivers in collaboration with Equitas, CAMS, and Sankara Nethralaya.
The group plans to use comic strips and public campaigns to educate people about road safety.
SPRA advocates for better driver training, improved road signage, and the relocation of liquor stores away from highways.
- Who
- Retired civil servants and social workers in Chennai
- What
- Launched the Society for the Prevention of Road Accidents (SPRA)
- Where
- Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- When
- Founded in 2022, revived in 2025
- Why
- To address the high number of road accidents and improve road safety
Proactive Safety Measures
Systemic Challenges
Driver Training and Licensing
Proactive Safety Measures
SPRA advocates for proper training and stricter testing methods for drivers to improve road safety.
Systemic Challenges
The current system has weak regulations and inadequate training, contributing to high accident rates.
Public Participation
Proactive Safety Measures
SPRA emphasizes the importance of public participation in road safety initiatives.
Systemic Challenges
Effective road safety requires systemic changes and enforcement beyond public participation.
Key facts
- Founder
- Ravi Garyali
- Year Founded
- 2022
- Current Leader
- C K Garyali
- Key Members
- Jayanthi, Archana Ramasundaram, Dipankar Ghose
- Annual Fatal Accidents in India
- 1,50,000
- Percentage of Accidents in Tamil Nadu
- 10%
- Recent Initiative
- Free eye camp for drivers
- Collaborators
- Equitas, CAMS, Sankara Nethralaya
Quotes
Dipankar Ghose
Secretary of SPRA and a well-known environmental activist
“SPRA, founded with the conviction that every road user should wake up to the stark realities relating to road safety and become a responsible driver, had decided to come up with a ‘comic strip on road safety’ to emphasize on the need for safe driving.”
deccanchronicle.com
“The concern over road safety, elucidated through the over six decade old comic book by Burmah Shell, wass still a contemporary reality in Chennai and Tamil Nadu and SPRA was committed to play its part through awareness and advocacy.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
Related news
Jefferies sees 40% upside in Kalyan Jewellers shares
ASUS Expands TUF Gaming Laptops in India With New Models
Bengaluru Engineers Develop Affordable AI PC KEO
Coders drive GPU laptop demand in India's premium PC market
Three Arrested in Shirur Theft Case as Jewellery Recovered
UK and Ukraine Open Battlefield AI Partnership Amid War
IISER Tirupati students excel in district yogasana competition
Minister Launches Free Mobile Eye Surgery
