MUMBAI: When it comes to India’s roads, concern alone is no longer enough, it is time to take the wheel. That is the message at the heart of Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan (SSA) 2026, the nationwide road safety campaign being led by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways under union minister Nitin Gadkari.

Returning for the fourth consecutive year, the campaign will be marked by a high-profile telethon in Mumbai on 25 January, bringing together policymakers, cultural icons and citizens in a renewed push to change how India behaves on its roads. The centrepiece event will be broadcast on CNN-News18, signalling the scale and seriousness of the initiative.

The urgency is stark. Official MoRTH data shows that India recorded 4,87,707 road crashes in 2024, leading to 1,77,175 deaths, an average of nearly 485 lives lost every single day. More troubling is who is most affected: young adults between 18 and 45 account for over two-thirds of these fatalities, cutting short lives in their most productive years.

Behind the numbers lie familiar but deadly patterns. Overspeeding, rash driving, dangerous overtaking, jaywalking, and the failure to wear helmets or seatbelts continue to dominate accident reports. Add to this the lack of timely assistance during the crucial “golden hour” after a crash, and the scale of preventable loss becomes painfully clear. For policymakers and campaigners alike, the message is unmistakable, road safety demands sustained intervention and behavioural change, not one-off awareness drives.

This is where SSA 2026 seeks to shift the narrative. The theme this year is Kartavya (Duty), positioning road safety not merely as a regulatory obligation but as a shared civic responsibility. Its tagline, Parvaah Se, Kartavya Tak, reflects that transition from caring about the problem to actively owning the solution.

The Mumbai telethon is designed to amplify this message through conversation, storytelling and performance. Joining Gadkari on stage will be a line-up of well-known voices, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shankar Mahadevan, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Kay Kay Menon and Swanand Kirkire. Their presence is intended not as spectacle, but as a way to carry the road safety message deeper into households across the country.

Each edition of Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan has been anchored around clearly defined focus areas, and 2026 is no different. The campaign rests on four pillars that together outline a roadmap for safer roads.

The first is Kartavya (Duty) reinforcing the idea that every road user, whether driver, pedestrian or passenger, has a role to play. The second, Kayda (Discipline), stresses consistent adherence to traffic rules, from speed limits to lane discipline and pedestrian crossings. The third pillar, Kavach (Shield), highlights how technology and AI from enforcement tools to vehicle safety systems can act as protective layers. The fourth, Kranti (Change), aims to spark a wider, community-led movement that embeds road safety into everyday behaviour.

Network18, which is partnering the initiative, has framed its involvement around collective ownership. Network18 chief content officer Santosh Menon described SSA as a platform that brings together government, institutions, industry, media and citizens around a single goal: making roads safer for everyone. He noted that the Kartavya theme underlines a simple truth, lasting change will only come when responsibility is shared.

Network18 Group chief strategy officer Puneet Singhvi echoed that sentiment, praising the Ministry’s sustained leadership and stressing the media’s role in amplifying the message. According to him, deeper awareness and consistent reinforcement can help reduce crashes that are entirely preventable.

What sets SSA 2026 apart is its attempt to move beyond slogans. By combining data, policy intent and popular culture, the campaign seeks to turn abstract concern into everyday action slowing down at intersections, wearing a helmet even on short rides, stopping to help accident victims, and respecting the rules that exist to save lives.

As India’s road network expands and mobility increases, the stakes have never been higher. Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan 2026 positions itself as a reminder that safety is not just enforced by law, but upheld by choice. Or, as the campaign suggests, the journey from concern to duty may be the most important road India needs to travel next.

The Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan 2026 telethon will air on CNN-News18 on Sunday, 25 January, from 11:00 am onwards.