NEW DELHI: Primus Partners has released a new thought leadership report titled “Rethinking Driver Training: A Road to Safer Traffic”, calling for urgent reforms in India’s driver training and licensing ecosystem to tackle the country’s rising road fatalities.

Driver preparedness flagged as key gap

The report highlights that despite stricter laws, improved enforcement, and better infrastructure, road accidents continue to rise in India. It identifies driver preparedness as a critical missing link, noting that many drivers enter the system without formal training and receive little to no skill reinforcement after obtaining a licence.

It also points out that the current licensing framework remains largely procedural, with limited emphasis on real-world driving skills such as hazard perception, defensive driving, and decision-making in complex traffic situations.

Experts call for behavioural shift

Commenting on the findings, Aarti Harbhajanka, Co-founder and Managing Director, Primus Partners, said that rethinking driver training is “a foundational reform,” stressing that safer roads depend on awareness, judgement, and responsibility built through structured training.

Road safety advocate Raghavendra Kumar added that road safety is a mindset that must be cultivated early and reinforced continuously, highlighting the need for informed and disciplined drivers to prevent accidents.

Meanwhile, S. N. Dhole, Head of Technical Secretariat at the Central Institute of Road Transport, emphasized that while vehicle standards have improved, driver competence remains crucial to translating these advancements into real-world safety outcomes.

Key recommendations

The report proposes a shift toward a competency-based licensing system, including:

• Mandatory structured driver training
• Technology-enabled and objective testing
• Continuous skill reinforcement and behavioural monitoring

It outlines a phased reform roadmap aimed at strengthening training standards and aligning driver capability with India’s broader road safety goals.

A shift to prevention-focused policy

Positioning driver training as a high-impact and scalable solution, the report calls for a transition from a reactive, enforcement-led approach to a preventive, competency-driven system focused on reducing accidents and saving lives.