A 14-year-old student from Rajajinagar has created an innovative online game aimed at teaching children the importance of road safety. The role-playing game, called Roadyz, places players in everyday traffic situations where they must navigate roads safely while avoiding potential hazards.
As players progress through the game, they earn virtual safety gear such as helmets and reflective jackets, reinforcing safe practices in a fun and engaging way. The game will soon be tested in five schools across Bengaluru and is expected to be officially released by July 2026.
Accident that inspired a mission
The inspiration behind the project comes from a personal experience. When Surya Uthkarsha was just six years old, his family met with a serious accident while travelling on a highway near Shivamogga.
His father had attempted to steer their car away to avoid hitting a buffalo that suddenly appeared on the road. While Surya escaped unharmed, his parents and sister suffered injuries to their spine, shoulder and jaw.
The incident left a lasting impact on him and sparked a strong commitment to promote road safety awareness.
The Marg Initiative spreads awareness
Motivated by the experience, Surya launched The Marg Initiative in 2024, a volunteer-driven road safety education movement led by young people.
The initiative now has chapters in several Indian cities including Thrissur, Agra, Delhi, Gurugram and Mumbai, and has also expanded internationally to Qatar and the UAE. Volunteers involved in the project are mostly between 12 and 18 years of age.
Through interactive sessions, the Bengaluru chapter educates children about traffic rules and safe behaviour on roads.
“We present slideshows of different road situations and ask children what they would do. We then discuss which actions would be safer,” Surya explained.
In some sessions, volunteers recreate road environments using cones and props to demonstrate pedestrian safety, traffic signals and emergency responses.
Community activities and outreach
The initiative has also carried out several community activities aimed at improving road safety.
In December, volunteers distributed over 150 reflective jackets to night-shift workers such as hotel staff and valets to make them more visible to motorists. The team has also partnered with large events like the Bengaluru Midnight Marathon to spread road safety awareness.
With support from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), the group has also undertaken footpath clean-up drives to improve pedestrian access.
Over the past six months, volunteers have cleared footpaths in areas including Sadashivanagar, Rajajinagar and Malleswaram, and plan to organise 15 more clean-up drives this summer.
Through initiatives like the Roadyz game and community outreach programmes, Surya and his team hope to encourage children to adopt safer habits on the road and help create a more responsible road culture in the city.