Mandatory online course before getting learners driving license
Telangana is piloting a mandatory online safety course for new drivers before they can obtain a learner's license. The curriculum covers defensive driving techniques, vehicle control, and traffic regulations, drawing inspiration from international road safety models.
Why it matters
Implementing standardized digital driver education can significantly improve road safety and reduce traffic accidents by ensuring new drivers are better prepared for modern vehicle features and road conditions.
Holding the steering wheel in the ‘9-3’ or ‘8-4’ position, instead of the more conventional ‘10-2’, now considered safer in cars equipped with airbags, avoiding road rage, and methods of defensive driving, are among the mandatory online modules new drivers in Telangana will soon have to complete before obtaining a learners’ driving licence.
The Telangana Online Safety Course, which is being run on a pilot basis at the Kukatpally RTO, includes an explanation of why it is good practice to hold the steering wheel lower. The reason: relatively newer cars have airbags as a standard feature, and in the event of a road accident, when they deploy, drivers holding the steering wheel lower can greatly reduce the risk of fracturing arms.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in