HYDERABAD: Getting a driving licence in Telangana may soon involve more than just mastering the clutch, accelerator and steering wheel.
Before applicants are even allowed to book a driving test, they may have to sit through a 2.5-hour online road safety course, watch more than 120 videos, clear an assessment and prove that they, not someone else, completed the programme.
The Transport department is preparing to roll out the mandatory certification across the state within the next month after a pilot project in Kukatpally showed encouraging results. If the proposal is implemented, Telangana will become the first state in the country to make an online road safety course compulsory for all permanent driving licence applicants, officials said.
The course begins after a learner’s licence is issued. Applicants will have six months to complete six online modules, each lasting about 25 minutes, before taking a 20-mark assessment. A minimum score of 15 is required to unlock the next step: booking a driving test.
And there are no shortcuts.
The system prevents users from skipping videos or watching them at faster speeds. Facial recognition technology verifies that the registered applicant remains in front of the screen throughout the course. Those who fail the assessment must start all over again.
Transport Commissioner K Ilambarithi said the department spent nearly seven months developing the programme.
‘Those who fail have to retake whole course’
“We have designed the course in such a way that applicants cannot skip videos or watch them at double speed. Every module has to be completed in full. To prevent impersonation, the platform uses facial recognition technology throughout the course. Applicants must score at least 15 out of 20 marks in the final assessment to become eligible for driving test slot booking. Those who fail the test will have to undergo the entire course again,” Transport Commissioner K Ilambarithi said.
Available in English, Telugu, Hindi and Urdu, the programme can be accessed on smartphones, tablets and laptops equipped with a camera. The lessons cover 62 road safety rules prescribed under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules and the Motor Vehicles (Driving) Regulations, using short videos and real-world driving situations to explain defensive driving, hazard perception and responsible road behaviour.
The online module has been developed in line with directions issued by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety and the Standard Operating Procedure of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, which requires completion of an Online Road Safety and Electronic Enforcement module before a driving licence is issued.
The pilot, launched in the Kukatpally RTO limits, has so far seen 1,155 enrolments, with 968 applicants completing the course.
Officials say the initiative is aimed at addressing a larger problem. India reported nearly 4.5 lakh road accidents in 2024, resulting in about 1.78 lakh deaths. Studies suggest that almost 80% of crashes are linked to driver error.
About 60% of the content development cost was funded by UNICEF, while TG Online developed and maintains the digital platform.
The idea is not entirely new. In New York, first-time drivers aged 18 and above must complete a mandatory five-hour pre-licencing course before they can schedule a road test. Telangana now hopes a similar approach will help produce better-informed and safer drivers.