Delhi, Jan 27: Zuno General Insurance (formerly Edelweiss General Insurance), a new-age digital insurer, has brought back its popular road safety awareness initiative in an evolved avatar with “Talking Zebra Returns” as part of its Road Safety Month drive. The campaign adopts a positive approach recognising and thanking commuters who follow traffic rules and will be rolled out across high-footfall traffic signals in select cities across the country.
Aligned with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ (MoRTH) Road Safety Awareness Month and IRDAI’s directive encouraging insurers to actively promote road safety awareness, the campaign aims to make road safety, more engaging and memorable.
With Talking Zebra Returns, Zuno is not only promoting road safety but also recognising the good drivers who follow traffic rules and demonstrate responsible road behaviour. The initiative also builds on Zuno’s ongoing SmartDrive campaign, ‘Good Drivers Choose Zuno’, which champions safe and responsible driving.
Starting Tuesday, 20th January, and running through the month, the activation will be rolled out across select traffic signals in 8 cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Goa and Guntur
Adding a playful twist this year, the Talking Zebra will also be joined by a mime artist, who will enact common road safety practices such as stopping before the zebra line, wearing helmets, waiting for the signal, and giving way to pedestrians, turning everyday actions into expressive, visual moments that commuters can instantly relate to.
Commenting on the initiative, Shanai Ghosh, MD & CEO, Zuno General Insurance said,
“At Zuno, we believe that road safety is a shared responsibility, and that positive reinforcement can be a powerful nudge towards better driving behaviour. Over the years, we’ve built initiatives that go beyond awareness from on-ground movements like Talking Zebra to product innovations like our mobile telematics-led Zuno SmartDrive car insurance, which rewards safe and responsible drivers. We aim to go beyond awareness and actively shape driving behaviour in the country. Through this initiative, we want to celebrate good drivers and encourage others to join them too, making Indian roads safer”.
With India continuing to record one of the highest road accident and fatality rates globally, sustained awareness and behavioural reinforcement remain crucial. The “India Status Report on Road Safety 2024,” by the TRIP Centre at IIT Delhi, highlights the country’s slow progress in reducing road accident fatalities. Comparing India to road safety leaders like Sweden, the report shows that while in 1990, an Indian was 40% more likely to die in a road accident, by 2021 this risk had increased to nearly six times.
The Road Accidents in India Report (2022) recorded 4,61,312 crashes, leading to 1,68,491 fatalities and 4,43,366 injuries. On average, India witnesses 53 crashes and 92 deaths every hour, underscoring the urgent need for continued road safety efforts. According to global data, India witnesses the highest number of road accidents in the world.
Zuno is also taking road safety beyond awareness through product innovation. It’s Zuno SmartDrive motor insurance features India’s first crash-detection capability, using smartphone telematics in the Zuno app to automatically detect accidents, alert support teams, and trigger faster assistance and claims offering real-time help when it matters most.
Ketan Mankikar, Head Marketing & Communications, Zuno General Insurance said,
he Talking Zebra has never been just a campaign for us. It’s a platform we’ve been building to keep road safety part of everyday conversation. Last year, it helped us start that conversation. This year, with Talking Zebra Returns, we’re taking it forward by recognising and celebrating good drivers who follow traffic rules. By adding positive reinforcement, humour, and simple human moments at traffic signals, we’re turning everyday behaviour into something visible and aspirational. When people see good driving being noticed, it naturally encourages more of it. That’s the kind of brand-led behaviour change we believe in.”
To take the message beyond the signals and into everyday conversations, Zuno General Insurance has partnered with popular radio channels. It will also be amplified on the brand’s social media platforms.
Zuno General Insurance invites everyone to join the Talking Zebra movement and make road safety a daily habit. Because road safety shouldn’t be a choice, it should be the way you drive. It isn’t just about rules. It’s about people.
