Mumbai – Volkswagen Group India and SaveLIFE Foundation, today officially launched the Vision Zero
Initiative to create a scalable and replicable model for road safety across Indian highways.
The initiative was launched with an aim to reduce road crash deaths on the old Mumbai-Pune Highway (NH 48) in collaboration with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
This is in line with India’s commitment to reduce road crash deaths by 50% under the Brasilia
Declaration.
The objective is likely to be achieved through data driven and evidence-based interventions. The initiative addresses road engineering interventions, improved post-crash emergency care, comprehensive research, better police enforcement and grassroots community engagement in a holistic manner.
Advocacy and awareness will also be created around systemic interventions to prevent road crashes and build effective first responders to aid emergency care on the 111 km stretch.
While national highways constitute just two per cent of the total road network in India, they account for 35
per cent of total road crash deaths, translating to over 145 road crash deaths every day on national
highways.
The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had in February announced the partnership as part of the Mahaparivartan Programme.
Gurpratap Boparai, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group India said that safety was integral to company’s vision of sustainable mobility and would also want to build safest cars.
“Through this healthy public-private collaboration with SaveLIFE Foundation and MSRDC we would like to share our road safety expertise and create awareness among local communities,” he added.
“Road safety is an issue that requires strong political will combined with deep inter-agency cooperation. We are grateful that both are possible in Maharashtra and are certain that the Vision Zero Initiative will create a safer NH 48,” Piyush Tewari, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at SaveLIFE Foundation said.
