The Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE), in collaboration with the College of Traffic Management & Forensic Science (CTM), has established the International Centre for Preventive Forensics, Traffic Management & Safety Sciences (ICPF) at the CTM campus in Faridabad, Haryana.
The new centre aims to strengthen scientific and preventive approaches to road safety by bringing together forensic science, traffic engineering and safety sciences to identify and address the factors that contribute to road crashes, injuries and fatalities.
New Centre to Focus on Near-Miss Analysis and Crash Prevention
The ICPF has been established as a multidisciplinary scientific hub focused on diagnosing traffic violations, high-risk road-user interactions and systemic safety failures before they result in serious crashes.
“The new centre has been established as a multidisciplinary scientific hub dedicated to preventing road crashes, injuries and fatalities by applying forensic science, traffic engineering and safety sciences to the diagnosis of traffic violations, high-risk road-user interactions and systemic failures,” said Dr Rohit Baluja, Director, IRTE.
Unlike conventional road-safety approaches that primarily investigate incidents after a crash has occurred, the ICPF will focus on identifying warning signs and risk factors before crashes take place.
“Unlike conventional approaches that primarily investigate crashes after they occur, the ICPF will focus on identifying the warning signs before a crash takes place. The centre will study near misses, unsafe manoeuvres, traffic conflicts and other high-risk interactions to understand their underlying causes and develop preventive interventions,” Dr Baluja added.
Integrating Forensics and Traffic Engineering
The initiative combines forensic auditing with traffic-engineering analysis to create a more comprehensive approach to road-safety assessment.
Experts at the centre will examine multiple factors, including road-user behaviour, infrastructure deficiencies, traffic-management systems and other contributing conditions. By analysing these factors together, the ICPF aims to help shift road safety from a predominantly reactive model towards a more predictive, preventive and evidence-based approach.
The centre will also support research, training, field investigations, professional capacity building and knowledge development in preventive forensics, traffic management and safety sciences.
INTERCEPTOR AFORE Mobile Laboratory Introduced
As part of the initiative, IRTE also introduced the INTERCEPTOR AFORE mobile laboratory, a specialised field platform designed to support road-safety audits, crash investigations and preventive safety research.
The mobile laboratory will enable experts to undertake scientific assessments and collect data directly from roads, intersections and other locations identified as high-risk. This field-based capability is expected to support more detailed analysis of traffic conditions and potential crash risks.
Multidisciplinary Road-Safety Platform
The ICPF will operate from the CTM campus located in the Aravali Hills on Surajkund-Badhkal Road in Faridabad.
The centre is intended to serve as a collaborative platform for traffic-management professionals, forensic experts, engineers, researchers, law-enforcement agencies and other stakeholders involved in improving road safety.
By bringing together expertise from different disciplines, the initiative aims to develop a stronger scientific foundation for understanding and preventing road crashes.
Focus on Proactive Road Safety
The establishment of the ICPF comes as India continues to expand its road and transport infrastructure while facing the ongoing challenge of reducing road crashes, injuries and fatalities.
Rather than focusing solely on crashes after they occur, the centre will investigate unsafe conditions and near-miss events to identify risks before they develop into serious incidents.
The approach is designed to make near-miss analysis an important component of road-safety planning, allowing authorities and professionals to identify recurring hazards and develop targeted preventive interventions.
With the launch of the ICPF and the INTERCEPTOR AFORE mobile laboratory, IRTE and CTM aim to establish a new institutional framework for preventive road safety—one in which every near miss can provide an opportunity to prevent a future crash and scientific evidence can serve as the foundation for safer roads and transportation systems.
