Indian roads are among the world’s most hazardous. Trucks, buses and cars jostle for space with motorcycles and three-wheelers that swerve without warning. Motorists must stay alert to wandering livestock, traffic-dodging pedestrians and bewildering street layouts. The result: an average of 502 people die on our roads every day.
Against this backdrop, the Centre’s proposal of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication from next October makes sense. Until now, road safety has largely focused on protecting crash victims with airbags, anti-lock braking systems and vehicular design. V2V would mark a shift from collision survival to prevention.
Under the proposed AIS-230 standard, suitably equipped vehicles will transmit their speed, position and direction to one another. Since this system will not need mobile telecom towers, it should function even in tunnels, remote areas and during network outages.
This would not just help motorists keep a safe distance from each other, but also warn others of hazards they may be unable to spot, such as an oncoming car hidden behind a truck or around a blind bend.
Safety assessments by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest that even baseline V2V deployment could prevent or mitigate about 13% of non-impaired multi-vehicle crashes.
As systems evolve to link vehicles with traffic signals and roadside infrastructure, safety is expected to improve. Poor execution, however, could saddle motorists with higher costs while exposing them to new risks of cybersecurity and privacy.
Every vehicle will need an onboard unit that can access radiowaves, apart from other devices. The estimated ₹4,000-7,000 extra this would cost may not affect car-buyers, but will burden two wheeler-buyers.
Also, V2V benefits from the ‘network effect’: the more participants it has, the more useful it is. Yet, this mandate will initially apply only to newly made vehicles, which may mean a long path to promise fulfilment unless people are nudged to retrofit older ones.
Global V2V adoption offers useful lessons.
America’s nationwide rollout stalled on disputes over communication standards, spectrum allocation and industry readiness. Europe has prioritized common standards, test corridors and interoperability over blanket enforcement. China, though, is the world’s frontrunner, having adopted a standard network with wide-ranging links as part of its broader smart-city strategy.
India’s planned rollout would have its own challenges.
First, an all-India network of vehicles constantly beaming their location and movement data would enlarge the country’s exposure to cyberattacks.
Second, while V2V signals may be masked, vehicle registration records or roadside infrastructure could be used to unmask identities. This would place the system squarely within the ambit of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. This law’s exemptions under Section 7 for public safety and law enforcement could also weaken privacy safeguards, unless robust oversight and transparency prevail.
Third, interoperability standards across manufacturers will be just as vital as cybersecurity and encryption protocols; India must not let scuffles over these stall an idea that can save thousands of lives. But connectivity in itself does not inspire public trust. Its benefits must become amply evident to motorists.
All in all, success will take not just V2V deployed at scale, but stiff cyber defences, common standards and the assurance that safety data will prevent crashes and not enable surveillance.