Hyderabad, Mar 20 (TNT): The Telangana government has intensified its efforts to curb rising road accidents with a renewed focus on enforcement, awareness, and inter-departmental coordination under the “Arrive Alive” programme as part of the 99-day Praja Palana–Pragathi Pranalika.
At a high-level review held at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Secretariat on Friday, Roads & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar stressed the need to treat road safety as a public movement rather than a routine administrative exercise.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the Ministers said road accidents are claiming more lives than several health-related causes, with a significant proportion of victims in the 18–40 age group.
Telangana recorded over 22,000 accidents and more than 6,200 deaths in 2025, averaging nearly 20 fatalities per day.
Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said negligence, particularly by heavy vehicle drivers, is a major contributor to fatalities and called for stricter legal provisions, including making fatal accidents caused by negligence non-bailable offences. He also stressed stricter enforcement against drunk driving, rash driving, mobile phone usage while driving, and overloading.
He said most accidents are preventable and highlighted measures such as helmet usage, improved signage, zebra crossings, and rectification of black spots.
He noted that works are underway to address 17 accident-prone locations on the Hyderabad–Vijayawada highway and stressed the need to prevent roadside parking of heavy vehicles, especially at night.
The Minister also called for intensified awareness campaigns involving students, drivers, and the general public, and suggested involving film personalities to amplify road safety messaging.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar proposed setting up village-level Road Safety Committees involving local representatives and community members to identify risk factors, monitor compliance, and conduct awareness drives.
He emphasised achieving 100 per cent helmet usage, promoting “zero accident villages,” and integrating road safety education into school curriculum.
Strict enforcement against minor driving, mandatory helmets for pillion riders, regular eye check-ups for drivers, and monitoring of school bus drivers were also highlighted.
The Minister also suggested leveraging digital platforms, including WhatsApp groups and public display boards, to expand outreach and recognising drivers with long accident-free records.
Officials said a six-day statewide “Arrive Alive” campaign will be held from April 13 to 18 with participation from Police, Transport, Roads & Buildings, and Health departments.
The government expressed confidence that a combination of enforcement, engineering improvements, and sustained public awareness will help reduce accident fatalities and make roads safer across Telangana.
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