November 6, 2025
On September 6, 2025, the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur established a partnership to address one of the state’s biggest public safety challenges—road crashes. By signing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the government committed to adopting the Safe System Approach, an evidence-based and proven global model effective in saving lives on roads.
The need for action couldn’t be more urgent with Uttar Pradesh reporting 23,652 road crash deaths in 2023 (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Report), the highest in India. Nearly 7 out of 10 road crash deaths are linked to speeding. Speaking at the signing event, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said: “Road crashes take more lives every year than COVID did in three years. We cannot accept such loss as normal. Every life is precious, and road safety will remain one of our highest priorities.”
Turning Plans into Action
Following the MoU signed last month, the Transport Commissioner constituted a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) —a team of diverse experts including government officials, road safety experts and civil society leaders. The TAG is working collaboratively to tailor global best practices for local adaptation. Their focus will be practical, life-saving steps such as:
- Tackling speeding with clear, enforceable speed management guidelines.
- Designing a statewide Road Safety Action Plan that looks beyond quick fixes and sets long-term goals.
- Strengthening crash data systems so decisions are based on evidence, not guesswork.
This effort combines IIT Kharagpur’s technical expertise with government leadership to advance road safety policies. Civil society partners including Consumer VOICE, are ensuring that community needs remain at the center of implementation by addressing the most critical safety issues. The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) supported this collaboration by fostering dialogue on the Safe System Approach between civil society and academia.
Consumer VOICE and IIT Kharagpur, in collaboration with the Transport Department of Uttar Pradesh, actively engaged the media through press releases, public events and targeted outreach. The partnership announcement captured the public’s interest with more than 60 media stories appearing across leading outlets including The Times of India, Hindustan Times, Economic Times, Navbharat Times, Dainik Jagran, and Amar Ujala. The event was also streamed live on YouTube, reaching millions of households across Uttar Pradesh.
A Safer Future for Uttar Pradesh
This MoU is a first step toward the Uttar Pradesh Road Safety Mission, a bold initiative aiming to save thousands of lives in the next decade. By uniting science, policy and community voices, Uttar Pradesh will demonstrate to other states in India that safer roads are possible. For families across the state, this means fewer lives lost, fewer children orphaned and more people arriving home safely each day.
