Gadkari Calls for V2V Rollout, Automakers to Align on Safety Tech

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari announced that vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology will soon become mandatory in India, according to The Economic Times. The minister stated that the technology, which enables cars to communicate with each other, will help reduce road accidents and improve overall road safety.

Speaking at an event, Gadkari emphasized that the government is working on implementing V2V communication systems that will allow vehicles to share information about their speed, location, and direction with nearby vehicles, The Economic Times reported. This real-time data exchange can help prevent collisions by alerting drivers to potential hazards.

The minister highlighted that India records one of the highest numbers of road accidents globally, with over 1.5 lakh deaths annually. He stated that the introduction of V2V technology is part of the government's broader strategy to reduce road fatalities by 50 percent.

According to the report, V2V communication works by using dedicated short-range communications or cellular networks to transmit data between vehicles. The technology can warn drivers about sudden braking by vehicles ahead, vehicles approaching from blind spots, or potential intersection collisions.

Gadkari noted that the government is also focusing on improving road infrastructure, implementing stricter safety norms, and promoting the use of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in vehicles, The Economic Times reported.

The minister added that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is coordinating with automobile manufacturers and technology providers to develop a roadmap for the deployment of V2V communication systems across the country.

The initiative aligns with the government's vision of making Indian roads safer and reducing the economic burden caused by road accidents, according to the report.