Odisha to Observe “Zero Fatality Week” from Dec 1 to Curb Road Accidents

Bhubaneswar: To reduce road accidents in winter, the Odisha government has decided to observe a “Zero Fatality Week” from December 1.

During this week, a 4E strategy – education, engineering, enforcement and emergency will be used to ensure zero road accident deaths.

In the winter months from November to February, accidents increase because of the picnic and marriage seasons as well as low visibility during night because of fog. It is also the peak tourist season.

Following an alarming rise in accident deaths in the first three months of this year, Odisha government observed ‘zero fatality week’ from April 1 across the state.

It has been observed that there has been a consistent decrease in fatalities from April to August as compared to the same period of previous year after the ‘zoro fatality week’ observation.

Road accidents claimed 5,081 lives in 2021. It rose to 5,467 in 2022. Over-speeding was the reason behind the highest 3,675 deaths. Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, use of mobile phones while driving, wrong side driving and jumping red lights were other reasons behind the rising road fatalities.