Bhubaneswar: Wary of a seasonal surge in road accidents, the transport department has decided to roll out a ‘zero fatality week’ campaign every month from Sept to March — a period officials describe as the most accident‑prone in Odisha.The transport officials noted that winter fog, picnic travel, and increased vehicular movement during festivals contribute to higher crash risks during Sept-March.Though the department had in 2023 observed the initiative only once or twice, this time the drive will run consistently across all seven months, with sharper focus on awareness, enforcement, and engineering fixes, officials claim.“We plan to observe the campaign in the first week of each month during this seven‑month stretch. All stakeholders — regional transport offices, police, health services, public works department, NHAI, district administrations and NGOs — will be roped in to focus on awareness drives, strict enforcement, rectification of blackspots, installation of signage and immediate trauma care for the injured,” said a senior transport official.Officials said the ‘zero fatality week’ will also involve school outreach, helmet and seatbelt checks, and district‑level monitoring to ensure visible impact.State transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur convened a meeting last week with regional transport officers to fine‑tune the strategy.The initiative comes against the backdrop of Odisha’s grim road safety record. Police data shows 18,364 people died in road accidents across the state between 2023 and 2025, largely due to over‑speeding, rash driving, poor road engineering and lack of awareness. A recent ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) report pegged Odisha’s accident severity — deaths per 100 accidents — at 49.6 in 2024, far above the national average of 36.3.Between Jan and April this year alone, 2,530 people died in road accidents, marking a 9.4% rise over the same period in 2025. Only eight districts — Bhadrak, Boudh, Deogarh, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Puri and Sundargarh — recorded simultaneous declines in both accidents and fatalities.Officials said enforcement lapses, poor road conditions and rising vehicle registrations are being examined as contributing factors. “Road safety remains a priority, but safe driving is ultimately the responsibility of motorists. Excess speed, drunk driving and negligence are behind many fatalities. Govt measures can only succeed if drivers adhere to traffic norms,” the senior transport officer added.Road safety campaigner Prakash Mahapatra found fault with the transport department and other agencies involved in road safety. “Despite reforms, enforcement drives and awareness campaigns, fatalities continue to rise. Unless accountability is fixed and engineering flaws corrected, campaigns alone will not deliver,” he said.