Bhubaneswar: The Commerce and Transport Department of Odisha, in collaboration with RBG Labs, IIT Madras, has announced the launch of the Zero Accident Day (ZAD) campaign in Keonjhar district.
This milestone initiative, aligned with the “Come Home Safe” vision of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, builds on the resounding success of ZAD piloted in Bhubaneswar, which recorded a visible reduction in road mishaps and created widespread citizen awareness on safe road practices.
The campaign in Keonjhar will run as a 14-day behavioural nudge-based movement, designed to integrate education, awareness, enforcement, and community participation. Keonjhar has been strategically chosen as it is both an accident-prone—symbolizing the state’s deepest commitment to road safety.
The Zero Accident Day concept was first piloted in Bhubaneswar, where intensive IEC drives, community participation, and data-driven enforcement led to measurable improvements. The initiative succeeded in reducing accidents during the campaign period as compared to previous year, engaging schools, colleges, and citizen groups in the process. Its effectiveness inspired the decision to replicate the model in high-risk districts like Keonjhar.
The roadmap for Keonjhar ZAD was finalized in a strategy meeting chaired by Transport Commissioner Shri Amitabh Thakur, IPS. IIT Madras presented data insights including crash severity, accident peak hours, violation trends, and vehicle classifications based on eDAR data. District Magistrate and Collector Shri Vishal Singh, IAS, Superintendent of Police, Additional District Magistrate, and senior officials of the Commerce & Transport Department were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur said, “Bhubaneswar has shown us that behavioural change is possible when government, citizens, and academia come together. Keonjhar must now take this success further and set a model for the entire state.”
The campaign will employ a multi-pronged approach to reduce accidents and instill long-term behavioural change. Awareness drives will be carried out through traditional and digital media, school and college workshops, and social media outreach with IIT Madras support. Community engagement will be fostered through volunteers, students, and local leaders acting as ‘Road Safety Ambassadors’ and conducting plays, street campaigns, and public interactions.
Enforcement efforts will be data-driven, focusing on violations such as speeding, helmetless riding, overloading, and drunk driving, with counselling being prioritized over punitive action. IIT Madras will also provide technical support for blackspot mapping and identification of emerging blackspots, guiding both enforcement and engineering interventions.
The campaign in Keonjhar is not just about achieving a single Zero Accident Day but about nurturing a culture of safety, dignity, and responsibility on roads. By combining data-driven insights, behavioural science, and community participation, Odisha is setting a national benchmark for innovative road safety models.
