Government to Launch Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) Safety Technology

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The government is planning to launch Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) safety technology to prevent road accident deaths and reduce traffic. 

Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) Technology

• V2V is a wireless technology that will enable the vehicles to communicate or talk with one another to share real-time information like speed, location, acceleration, braking, etc. 
  • It is the sub-category of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) and comes under the umbrella of the Intelligent Transport System.
• The system is similar to the aviation sector technology, where aircraft broadcast their position, speed, altitude, and the nearby aircraft and ground stations receive it.
  • V2V is working in a few countries, mostly developed nations.
• How will it work? 
  • The V2V system will be installed in cars so that the nearby vehicles can exchange information among vehicles wirelessly. 
  • It will alert the driver about the black spots, obstacles, parked vehicles on roadsides, fog or any potential threats.
  • Usually, V2V systems have a range of 300 metres and can detect vehicles in this range.
• Concerns: Limited frequency bands may not support all vehicles, and miscommunication could cause accidents.
  • The system also stores vast amounts of sensitive vehicle and driver data, raising privacy and misuse concerns. 
  • Additionally, cyberattacks could compromise control of the system, posing serious security risks.
• The government has not yet announced any specific date for rolling out this system. 

Road Accidents in India

• India ranks first globally in terms of the number of annual road accident fatalities.
  • Its numbers are far ahead of second and third-ranked countries: China accounts for just 36% of India’s total road deaths, and the United States for 25%.
• The number of road accident fatalities in India rose 2.3% to over 1.77 lakh in 2024, resulting in the death of 485 persons every day.
• As per the World Road Statistics 2024, the fatality rate per lakh population is 4.3 in China, and 12.76 in the United States of America, as compared to India, where it is 11.89.

Government Initiatives

• National Road Safety Policy India, 2010: It emphasized the need for better road infrastructure, stricter enforcement of traffic rules, enhanced emergency medical services, public awareness campaigns, and improved post-crash care.
• Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR)/ Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD): Centralized system for reporting, managing, and analyzing road accident data to improve safety.
• Speedy Assistance to Accident Victims:
  • Award ₹25,000 for Good Samaritans who help accident victims.
  • Faster compensation: ₹2.5 lakh for grievous hurt, ₹5 lakh for death.
  • Enhanced compensation for hit-and-run victims: ₹2 lakh for death, ₹50,000 for grievous hurt.
  • Simplified procedures for third-party insurance, including hired drivers.
• Vehicle Fitness: Old, unfit vehicles contribute to accidents. The Ministry is setting up model Inspection and Certification Centers across States/UTs (28 States/UTs covered by 2024).
• IIT Madras Collaboration: Establishing a Center of Excellence for Road Safety to develop new products, conduct research, and promote safety initiatives.
• Accident Blackspot Rectification: Priority on identifying and improving accident-prone spots on National Highways through engineering measures.
• Road Safety Audits: Mandatory audits for all highway projects at design, construction, and operation stages.
• Brasilia Declaration: India was one amongst the initial 100+ countries to have signed the Brasilia Declaration in 2015 committing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 i.e.to half the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2030. 
• Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019: The act brought about higher penalties for traffic violations, including speeding, drunk driving, and not wearing helmets or seat belts. 

Way Ahead

• Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication systems are working in a few countries. This will have a significant impact on road safety. 
• Like India, countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mexico, etc., are in early pilot stages to roll out V2V communication systems.
• India has done substantial research on road safety through premiere institutions like Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) and Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).
  • The government can collaborate with these institutes to improve policies and action plans. 

Source: IE