In an effort to curb road accidents, particularly in low-visibility conditions such as dense fog, the government is set to roll out vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology that will allow cars to exchange real-time data and alert drivers to potential dangers. The announcement was made by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari after the 43rd meeting of the Transport Development Council.
The technology involves installing an on-board unit (OBU) in vehicles, enabling wireless data exchange between nearby cars. This will allow vehicles to share information such as speed, location, acceleration and braking patterns, helping drivers receive advance warnings and take preventive action. According to the ministry, the system can significantly reduce crashes by alerting drivers before hazards come into view, with the potential to cut accidents by as much as 80 per cent by detecting vehicles in blind spots.
Explaining the benefits, officials said that if one vehicle brakes suddenly, nearby vehicles will automatically receive alerts to slow down, even before the driver visually detects the obstacle. Union Road Transport and Highways Secretary V Umashankar said the cost of each OBU is estimated at around Rs 0.005–0.007 million. Standards for the technology are currently being developed in consultation with original equipment manufacturers, after which a formal notification will be issued. This will pave the way for mandatory installation in new vehicles and, eventually, retrofitting in existing ones. He added that the technology is currently deployed in only a handful of countries and that India aims to finalise standards within the year.
The Department of Telecommunications will provide free spectrum under its national frequency allocation plan, allowing all manufacturers to use the designated band for V2V communication. A joint task force comprising officials from the transport ministry and the telecom department has already agreed in principle to allocate 30 MHz in the 5.875–5.905 GHz range for this purpose. Officials said the system could at least eliminate crashes involving stationary vehicles by providing automatic warnings.
Alongside the V2V rollout, the government will also formally launch the nationwide cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims. Gadkari said the Prime Minister will soon inaugurate the programme, which was earlier implemented as a pilot across six states. Under the scheme, accident victims will be eligible for cashless treatment of up to Rs 0.15 million per person for a maximum period of seven days from the date of the accident. The cover applies to road accidents involving motor vehicles, with expenses borne either by the vehicle’s third-party insurance provider or through the Motor Vehicle Safety Fund.
Providing an update on the pilot phase, Gadkari told Parliament in December that 6,833 treatment requests had been raised, of which 5,480 victims were found eligible and received cashless treatment. A total of about Rs 7.39 million has been disbursed from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund so far.
The minister also said discussions are under way with insurance companies to assess whether motor insurance premiums can be adjusted based on drivers’ traffic violation histories. Repeated violations could even lead to cancellation of driving licences. In addition, the government plans reforms to the bus body code, under which only chassis manufacturers will be permitted to design sleeper bus bodies.
The council meeting also reviewed proposed amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, including measures to improve ease of living and doing business, strengthen regulatory certainty, enhance road safety, introduce a points-based system to track traffic violations, and enable digital and automated issuance of permits for goods vehicles up to a specified gross vehicle weight.
