Govt plans vehicle-to-vehicle tech to cut road deaths; 61 Motor Vehicles Act amendments on way

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says V2V communication, new safety norms, and legal reforms are being pushed to reduce accidents and modernise India’s transport system.

The central government is working on introducing vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology in India to help prevent road accidents by allowing vehicles to exchange real-time information with each other, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said.

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, after chairing the annual meeting of transport ministers from states and Union Territories, Gadkari said a joint task force has been formed with the Department of Telecom (DoT) to take the initiative forward. He said the DoT has agreed in principle to allocate 30 MHz spectrum in the 5.875–5.905 GHz band specifically for V2V communication.

Under the proposed system, vehicles will be able to wirelessly share key information.This real-time exchange is expected to help drivers take timely action, thereby reducing the risk of collisions.

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The minister said the move is part of a larger road safety strategy, which also includes better road engineering, stricter enforcement of traffic rules and higher penalties for violations. Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, Gadkari said India records around 5 lakh road accidents every year, leading to nearly 1.8 lakh deaths. He added that about 66 per cent of the victims belong to the 18-34 age group.

Gadkari also announced that the government plans to bring 61 amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act during the forthcoming Budget session of Parliament. These proposed changes aim to improve road safety, promote ease of doing business, enhance citizen services, improve mobility, simplify definitions and language, and align Indian regulations with global standards.

According to the minister, the meeting of transport ministers discussed several key areas, including road safety, passenger convenience, automobile regulations and ease of doing business. Important topics such as stricter safety norms for buses, sleeper coaches and passenger vehicles were also deliberated.

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The discussions included bus body codes, Bharat NCAP safety ratings, and the phased introduction of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in vehicles. In addition, the meeting explored the idea of a points-based system to monitor traffic violations and the digital and automated issuance of permits for goods vehicles up to a specified gross vehicle weight.