Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed that a statewide Road Safety Month be observed from January 1 to January 31, 2026, amid rising concerns over fatal road accidents. Chairing a high-level review meeting in Lucknow, the Chief Minister said the campaign must go beyond symbolic observances and deliver measurable outcomes. With more than 46,000 accidents and nearly 25,000 deaths recorded in the state this year, the government said road safety had emerged as a critical public concern requiring coordinated administrative and social action.
Government's Four-Pillar Strategy
During the meeting with senior officials, divisional commissioners and district magistrates, Uttar Pradesh CM instructed that the campaign be implemented strictly under the 4E framework: Education, Enforcement, Engineering and Emergency Care. He said awareness alone was insufficient unless supported by strict enforcement and infrastructure correction.
Officials were told to focus on behavioural change, particularly among young road users, while ensuring tougher action against habitual traffic violators. Measures discussed included licence suspension, vehicle impounding and intensified checks on speeding, lane discipline and illegal parking.
Engineering interventions were flagged as a priority, with directions to identify and permanently rectify accident-prone black spots. Poor signage, blind curves, unauthorised road cuts and unsafe speed breakers were cited as recurring causes of crashes. Road-owning agencies were instructed to carry out time-bound corrections and regular safety audits.
Emergency Response, Public Participation In Focus
The Chief Minister also stressed improvements in post-accident response, underlining the importance of the “Golden Hour” in reducing fatalities. He called for faster ambulance response times, better coordination between departments and integration of private hospitals with trauma facilities into the emergency network.
Fitness checks for ambulances, school buses and heavy vehicles were ordered, along with mandatory deployment of two drivers for passenger vehicles travelling over 300 km to curb fatigue-related accidents. Expressway patrolling and crane availability were also flagged for strengthening.
To widen participation, volunteer organisations including NSS, NCC, Scouts and Civil Defence were asked to be involved in awareness activities, particularly in the first week of January. Officials were instructed to use real-life accident case studies rather than generic messaging to underline risks.
CM Yogi also ordered strict action against roadside encroachments, illegal parking, unauthorised vehicle stands and stunt riding, calling them persistent safety hazards. District magistrates from high-accident districts were directed to draw up localised action plans, combining enforcement with targeted interventions to bring down accident numbers.