Government Plans Car-to-Car Communication Mandate to Cut Road Accidents

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is preparing to introduce a major road safety reform by making vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems compulsory in all new passenger vehicles. The initiative is intended to reduce accidents by enabling cars to exchange information wirelessly and warn drivers about potential hazards in real time.

Under the proposed framework, vehicles will be equipped with onboard communication units that can share data such as speed, direction and sudden braking events with nearby vehicles. This will allow drivers to receive alerts about risks including possible collisions, vehicles hidden in blind spots and abrupt deceleration ahead.

To support this technology, the Department of Telecommunications has granted in-principle approval for allocating 30 MHz of spectrum dedicated to V2V communication, according to Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The minister stated that these systems can play a crucial role in accident prevention by providing early warnings and improving situational awareness. He reiterated the government’s broader objective of cutting road accident fatalities by 50% by 2030.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of worrying accident statistics. Government data shows that India recorded more than five lakh road accidents in 2023, leading to over 1.8 lakh deaths. Improving safety outcomes remains a priority area for the ministry.

Gadkari was speaking after a two-day conference involving transport ministers and senior officials from 28 states and Union Territories. The discussions focused on several road safety and mobility issues, including the rollout of a pilot cashless treatment scheme for accident victims, higher compensation for hit-and-run cases, proposed changes to the Motor Vehicles Act, and the zero-fatality districts programme.

Proposed amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, expected to be considered during the upcoming Budget session of Parliament, will aim to simplify compliance for businesses, strengthen regulatory oversight and bring India’s mobility and emission standards closer to global norms.

The minister also addressed concerns around recent fatal bus accidents. He announced that sleeper coach buses will now be built only by authorised automobile manufacturers, with a system of centralised accreditation for bus body builders. Existing buses will be upgraded with fire detection equipment, improved emergency exits, better lighting and driver drowsiness monitoring systems.

As part of the zero-fatality districts initiative, the ministry, working with Save Life Foundation, has identified 100 districts with the highest number of road deaths for focused safety interventions.

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