Adhireddy Suresh is a heavy vehicle driver (HMV) with M/S Sree Maruthi Nandan Company at Adani Krishnapatnam Port. He says life on the road is full of risks, so one must practice safety. He is concerned about the rising number of road accidents in the country and feels there is a need for safe drivers. It could be made possible by learning about safe driving, he adds. 

He gives credit to Adani Skill Development’s Defensive Driving course which prepared him to be a responsible and vigilant driver. The course aims at decreasing the risk of motor vehicle collisions and traffic violations, minimizing exposure to liability risks and legal costs, reducing insurance premiums and workers’ compensation claims, lowering vehicle repair bills and replacement expenses as well as protecting business operations and brand identity.  

Adhireddy says, “When employees are involved in traffic incidents, companies are exposed to liability risks and legal expenses, not to mention lost time, decreased productivity, and increased insurance and workers’ compensation rates. I have learned so much from the defensive driving safety program, it will certainly help more people to be safe on the roads.”

As per data, 4,03,116 accidents were reported in 2021 which resulted in 1,55,622 deaths and injured 3,71,884. Overspeeding accounts for 58.7 percent of the total accidents, while dangerous/careless driving or overtaking comprised 25.7 percent.

The Defensive Driving course teaches a set of driving skills that allows one to defend themselves against possible collisions caused by bad and drunk drivers, and poor weather.

Defensive drivers are able to avoid dangers on the road by using safe driving practices. Anyone with a learner or driver’s license can enroll in the course.

Shaik Khan Saheb (29) from Narikellapalli village from Nellore district enrolled himself in the Defensive Driving Safety program and is employed as an HMV Driver with M/S ZAM Engineering Company at Adani Krishnapatnam Port. “I have learned all about the necessary qualities of a good and safe driver during my training.”

Not just driving but the training program also focuses on awareness of traffic rules and regulations, awareness of good and bad habits of the driver, awareness of physical and mental fitness the driver, and awareness of vehicle maintenance and servicing.

Buduru Sivakumar, 27, from Muthukur village in Nellore district, has a similar story and after training in defensive driving, he now works as a light motor vehicle (LMV) driver, working with M/S Royal Marine, Adani Krishnapatnam Port. “The driver training program is intended to teach the best driving techniques to the learners. The training involves identifying and eliminating the bad behaviors of a driver and introducing us to proper driving practices,” he says.

Hailing from a remote village in Nellore district, Tandra Vamsi also took up a month-long skill training course in LMV Level-3 Driving and today is placed with M/S Royal Marine at Adani Krishnapatnam Port. He notes that post the training he has realized that trained drivers are less likely to cause accidents, they react faster and make their best efforts to avoid accidents on the road.