Vehicles to soon give crash warning to each other
NEW DELHI: Vehicles in India will soon be fitted with an On-Board Unit (OBU) that enables Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication to improve road safety. It will issue collision warnings when it detects a stationary vehicle or a vehicle suddenly stops ahead, allowing drivers to respond in time and prevent accidents.
Once the technical standards are finalised, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) plans to mandate the installation within a year. Its cost may range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000. Initially, the mandate will apply to new vehicles, with arrangements later made to retrofit older vehicles.
The proposal was discussed during a meeting of the Transport Development Council held in New Delhi. Describing the move as “revolutionary, Gadkari said, “For the first time, such a step is being taken, which is expected to drastically cut road crashes.” He added that the use of V2V communication technology could reduce accidents by as much as 80%.
MoRTH secretary V Umashankar said that a few countries worldwide currently use V2V communication technology, and its introduction in India would make a major difference.
“Vehicles parked along roadsides often cause serious accidents because motorists are unaware of their presence. When vehicles approach at high speed, collisions occur. This technology will automatically send warnings and help prevent such crashes…the ministry is working closely with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to finalise the standards, following which a notification will be issued,” he said.
The Department of Telecommunications has approved free spectrum for V2V communication under the National Frequency Allocation Plan, clearing an important requirement for the nationwide rollout of the technology.
Gadkari also announced the launch of a ‘Zero Fatality Districts’ programme in collaboration with the SafeLife Foundation (SLF), a non-profit organisation working in road safety and trauma care to reduce road accident deaths through improvements in infrastructure, enforcement, and trauma care.
SLF developed a guidebook to help district administrations plan road safety strategies, hold focused District Road Safety Committee meetings, and monitor progress effectively. The ministry has identified 100 high-accident districts for the programme, with a target of reducing road crash fatalities by 50 percent by 2030. “Scientific analysis of crash data in 100 districts has identified high-risk corridors, junctions, road user groups, and time patterns,” Gadkari said. PM Modi will soon unveil the scheme and its name he said.