To reduce road accidents in the country, the government is planning to introduce the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) in vehicles. ITS enables vehicles, traffic signals, road sensors, cameras, and mobile networks to communicate with each other in real time. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which recently floated a consultation paper on the subject, the primary objective of ITS is to reduce road accidents, most of which occur due to human errors such as overspeeding, distracted driving, delayed reactions, and violation of traffic rules.
Despite the availability of modern safety technologies such as airbags, anti-lock braking systems (ABS), and rear-view cameras, road accidents continue to claim thousands of lives every year. ITS aims to address this challenge through smart communication technologies that can improve road safety and traffic management. During the calendar year 2023, road accidents in India claimed nearly 1.73 lakh lives and injured around 4.63 lakh people.
What is the system?
According to the regulator, the ITS system allows vehicles to exchange information with other vehicles, traffic signals, road infrastructure, pedestrians, and mobile networks. This technology is known as Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication. For instance, if a vehicle suddenly applies brakes on a highway, nearby vehicles can instantly receive warning alerts, helping drivers react faster and avoid collisions. Similarly, traffic signals can communicate information regarding signal changes, traffic congestion, road construction, fog, or accidents ahead.
According to TRAI, the system can also significantly improve emergency response services. In the event of a major accident, traffic management centres can quickly identify the accident location, alert ambulances and emergency teams, and divert traffic to minimise congestion.
Another major benefit of ITS is lower fuel consumption and reduced pollution. Smooth traffic movement reduces unnecessary stopping, idling, and fuel wastage, thereby helping cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Globally, transport systems are rapidly moving towards connected and automated mobility. Many countries are increasingly adopting Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology, which uses mobile networks to enable faster and more reliable communication between vehicles and infrastructure. Overall, ITS is being viewed as a major step towards safer roads, smarter cities, cleaner transportation, and a more efficient traffic management system.
History of ITS
According to the government, the evolution of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) spans more than 150 years, beginning with basic traffic control systems and evolving into today’s AI-driven smart transport networks. The origins of traffic management can be traced back to 1868, when the first traffic control system was introduced in London using gas-powered red and green lights to regulate the movement of horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians.
A major breakthrough came in 1912 when police officer Lester Wire developed electric traffic lights in Salt Lake City. The system used electrically powered red and green lights along with a buzzer to indicate signal changes, replacing the hazardous gas-powered systems.
Over the decades, rapid advancements in information technology (IT), sensors, geo-location systems, and communication technologies paved the way for the development of Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS) aimed at improving transportation management. In 1994, IVHS was officially renamed the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).
