SaveLIFE Foundation, in collaboration with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) Limited, Maharashtra Highway Police, and Highways Infrastructure Trust, has implemented road safety treatments at 15 fatality-prone locations along the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway section of NH-48 to significantly reduce crash risk.
The initiative, which is part of SaveLIFE’s Zero Fatality Corridor programme, prioritised interventions in road engineering, enforcement and emergency response to tackle the root causes of crashes and fatalities. The highway section saw 88 fatalities last year.
As part of this initiative, a detailed assessment of road conditions was conducted through a combination of field surveys and data analysis. This helped in identifying high-risk or critical locations that were contributing to road crashes or unsafe traffic behaviour.
Following the in-depth analysis, targeted road engineering solutions — known as safety treatments — were rolled out to tackle the root causes of crashes. These included better signage, speed-calming measures, improved visibility, safer pedestrian infrastructure, and redesigned junctions aimed at preventing collisions and saving lives.
Dr Zafar Khan, Executive Director and Joint CEO, Highways Infrastructure Trust, said, “Maharashtra recorded over 15,000 road crash fatalities last year, majority of them on highways—a stark reminder of the urgent need for systemic interventions. As part of our commitment to safer roads for all, Highways Infrastructure Trust has partnered with SaveLIFE Foundation to implement targeted safety measures along a high-risk stretch of the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway.
Together, we are introducing speed-calming measures, improving pedestrian crossing visibility, and reinforcing lane discipline, with an aim to reduce fatalities on the corridor by 20 to 30 percent over the coming years. We believe that road safety must be engineered by design and are confident that this collaborative model will deliver measurable, replicable impact.
Along with the engineering interventions, enforcement measures were also initiated with the help of the state authorities. Enforcement measures were designed to improve compliance with traffic laws by preventing violations and encouraging safer road user behaviour.
Mr Piyush Tewari, Founder and CEO of SaveLIFE Foundation, said, “This initiative demonstrates what is possible when data, engineering, and strong partnerships come together for road safety. We are grateful to the MSRDC, Maharashtra Highway Police and Highways Infrastructure Trust for helping us implement life-saving solutions on one of Maharashtra’s busiest highways.”
These targeted interventions aim to transform the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway into a safer corridor and set a replicable model for road safety across the country
