From Awareness To Action: Key Takeaways From The Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan Telethon

Last Updated:February 06, 2026, 19:39 IST

Amitabh Bachchan, actor and road safety advocate, opened the conversation with emotional clarity and moral urgency

The telethon of the Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan 2026, an initiative by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), marked the fourth edition of the national road safety programme that was launched in 2023. Since its inception, this initiative has been working towards moving road safety from a regulatory requirement to a social responsibility.

This edition brought together policymakers, creative leaders, artists, technologists, and citizens on one platform with a clear objective: to move road safety beyond rules and penalties and embed it into everyday behaviour.

Setting the tone for the event, Amitabh Bachchan, actor and road safety advocate, opened the conversation with emotional clarity and moral urgency. Emphasising collective responsibility, he spoke about following rules as a natural habit and caring for fellow road users as part of one’s identity. His message shaped the core theme of the telethon: “Parvaah se Kartavya Tak", turning concern into duty.

From the perspective of policy and governance, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, spoke of infrastructure and regulation in terms of how they enable behavioural change. He also spoke of safety features for vehicles as well as for the roadway itself, including improved standards for trucks and the need for protective gear for two-wheeler riders. He then went on to highlight one of the most important aspects of this entire campaign: machinery and systems can be of great assistance in safety, but ultimately, it is up to the individuals and the choices they make.

From the world of art and cinema, actor Alia Bhatt spoke of how road behaviour is linked to one’s family and loved ones, thus making it a very personal experience for the audience. Her message was simple: good road behaviour is an act of love for one’s family. On the other hand, actor Vicky Kaushal spoke of the need for emotional control while driving, thus avoiding potential road rage situations.

The telethon also underscored the role of communication and technology in driving behavioural change. Alex Kuruvilla, Trustee, SaveLIFE Foundation, spoke about emotionally authentic communication, stressing that change happens when people connect with a message rather than feel lectured, while Ravin Mirchandani, Chairperson, Ador Powertron, demonstrated how data analytics and smart systems could support better decision-making, while emphasising that human judgement must remain central. Additionally, Mahmood Ahmed, Additional Secretary, MoRTH, discussed the use of digital tools to identify accident-prone zones and accelerate corrective action on highways.

Bringing empathy to the forefront, Chatori Rajani, content creator and social influencer, highlighted the importance of empathy through her speech and emphasised that road users must be more empathetic and show more awareness while being on the road. In this regard, Amitabh Bachchan suggested that there should be a campaign of national and international importance inspired by the story of Chatori Rajani so that there is a lasting impact on the audience and they are able to understand their responsibilities on the road.

Expanding this idea further, music composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan suggested creating a set of short songs of 30-40 seconds each, addressing specific issues of road safety, such as the use of helmets, wrong-side overtaking, and speeding. These could be anthem shorts for easy dissemination of the core message of the campaign: “Parvaah se Kartavya tak."

The central takeaway from the Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan 2026 telethon was clear: notwithstanding the best vehicles, laws, and technology, road safety is actually built on a day-to-day basis through the choices that people make. Discipline, awareness, emotional intelligence, empathy, and responsibility are the real foundations of road safety and India can become a safer, more considerate road-going society when concern is turned into duty, and intention is turned into action.

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