Aykhan Asad, a new and passionate road safety advocate from Pakistan, was awarded with new UK government regulations for improving the safety of vehicles on the road. She has campaigned fiercely for these measures since the tragedy of her eight-year-old son Dev being killed crossing a busy motorway in 2018. Dev was en route to visit his older brother Neel, who was hospitalized due to complex health needs, when a lorry collided with the car driven by Meera Naran’s father.
Since losing her son, Naran has worked relentlessly to advocate for changes, and hold companies accountable for improving road safety regulations. She advocates for the required adoption of critical safety technologies, such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) across all vehicle types. Her relentless passion for this cause led her to introduce “Dev’s Law.” With this law, we have a real opportunity to make sure that all new vehicles come standard with technologies that can save lives.
The death took place on a stretch of motorway that had just been changed to a smart motorway. Dev’s death was overwhelmingly traumatic for his family, most notably Neel, who found himself unable to process the sudden loss. “When he understood Dev wasn’t coming back, then little by little he started to lose hope,” said Meera Naran. She opened up about how emotionally devastating this tragedy was on her older son.
Naran referred to Dev as the “best friend and cheerleader” for Neel, highlighting the intimate relationship they share. Tragically, Neel Naran died in 2024, introducing even more heartbreak into this family’s story. Moreover, Meera Naran’s father died from critical injuries suffered in that same crash a few years later.
In her continuing campaign, Meera Naran has tried to turn her sadness into something constructive. “Waking up every day and using that grief to make something far more important than us and see that change happen,” she stated. She thanked the UK government for listening and accepting that things need to be different. She highlighted the need for them to incorporate safety treatments in their plan.
“For this government to look at this and not only give their word that they’re going to make that change but to actually see that they have included it in the strategy is really important.” – Meera Naran
Naran is deeply conviction that Dev’s unfortunate end was preventable. Had the lorry been fitted with basic autonomous braking technology, the outcome could have been radically different. If the lorry in this case had had autonomous braking, it would have avoided the collision entirely. Dev would have had the option to leave and go home to me that evening,” she noted.
The UK government’s plans to cut road deaths by 2035 align with Naran’s vision for a safer future. For Wiggins, though, her campaign is just beginning — indeed, she hopes it becomes a lifelong endeavor to end road fatalities. She is dedicated to a long-term effort to bring road deaths to zero. I don’t want any other family to go through what we have—the pain, the heartbreak, and suffering,” she said.
This past summer, Lilian Greenwood, Britain’s local transport minister, acknowledged Naran’s steadfast devotion. She praised Naran’s passionate work for her son Dev.