Led by Shailesh Hazela and Neha Khullar, the initiative will train 11,000 students, 1,000 teachers, and reach 20,000 community members across five high-risk cities including Pune, Jaipur, Bangalore, and Hyderabad
Stellantis India, in partnership with the Muskaan Foundation for Road Safety, has launched Safe Journey, a campaign targeting India’s most accident-prone urban corridors. The program begins in Chennai before extending to Pune, Jaipur, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, all of which are consistently ranked among the country’s highest-risk cities for road fatalities.
The effort responds to an urgent need. In 2022 alone, Chennai reported 3,452 road crashes and 507 deaths, placing it among India’s deadliest cities for urban traffic. By focusing on the 10 to 17 age group, the initiative aims to build awareness and responsibility early, blending case studies, real-world scenarios, and peer learning to change behaviours that lead to crashes.
The campaign will begin with six workshops across leading Chennai colleges, including Presidency College and Queen Mary’s College, training more than 1,200 students. These workshops will seed Road Safety Clubs run by the participants themselves, extending the program’s reach into neighbourhoods and daily commuting environments.
Shailesh Hazela, CEO and Managing Director of Stellantis India, said the campaign reflects the company’s long-term view of mobility in India: “For us, safety and education are inseparable. By empowering students as change leaders, we are building safer communities and shaping mobility that is responsible as well as sustainable.”
Neha Khullar, Director of Projects at Muskaan Foundation, added: “This is about turning learners into leaders. Young people have the ability to influence families and communities, creating ripple effects that make cities safer for everyone on the road.”
The campaign is supported by on-ground partners including the India Vision Institute, which brings local data and expertise into the sessions. Across its five-city rollout, Safe Journey is expected to reach 11,000 students, 1,000 teachers, and 20,000 community members, making it one of the most expansive road safety interventions led by a corporate, NGO partnership in India.
For Chennai, the initiative represents more than awareness – it is a reminder that safety is a shared responsibility, and that sustainable mobility must start with changing how individuals behave on the road.
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