Telangana adopts SaveLIFE’s zero-fatality road safety framework
Hyderabad: Telangana has launched a major offensive against road accidents by adopting the SaveLIFE Foundation’s (SLF) “Zero-Fatality” framework to mark National Road Safety Month. Acting on directives from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the state government has enlisted SLF’s technical expertise to deploy science-backed solutions across high-risk corridors.
India currently faces a severe road safety crisis, with more than 1.7 lakh deaths annually—a figure equivalent to losing over 450 lives every day. The Zero-Fatality model aims to mitigate this by institutionalising systemic improvements in infrastructure, trauma care, and law enforcement.
SLF’s flagship programmes, the Zero Fatality Corridor (ZFC) and Zero Fatality District (ZFD), have already proven successful on 100 national highways, recording fatality reductions of up to 60 per cent on targeted stretches. Under the new framework, Telangana districts are required to identify their top three critical corridors and ten high-fatality locations for immediate intervention.
The strategy follows a week-wise action plan involving data-led analysis of crash patterns and vulnerable road users. District task forces are mandated to submit standardised reports for a state-level review in mid-January, ensuring accountability at the grassroots level. Piyush Tewari, Founder-CEO of SaveLIFE Foundation, emphasised that the crisis is solvable through governance. “Losing over 450 lives daily is akin to a major air crash unfolding every day,” Tewari stated. “Our work shows that when science-backed road design, strict enforcement, and robust trauma care come together, fatalities fall significantly. Zero fatalities is an achievable outcome.”
The Telangana model integrates the “4 Es” of road safety Engineering, Enforcement, Emergency care, and Education. Multiple departments, including transport, police, health, and urban local bodies, have been mobilised to ensure the initiative moves beyond simple collaboration to true government ownership.
