TRAI pushes for tech that enables real-time accident alerts, traffic monitoring

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like India’s telecom regulator on Thursday released a consultation paper on how to roll out an automated wireless vehicle communications system that can potentially alert drivers of a crash on the road ahead or catch traffic violations. TRAI's proposal marks a significant shift from conventional safety features such as airbags and seatbelts toward proactive digital systems. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)The consultation paper by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication formally launches the regulatory process for a technology that allows vehicles to wirelessly exchange data with one another, traffic signals and cellular networks in real time. TRAI regulates the sector that oversees any type of wireless communication. The technology will be enabled by on-board wireless communication devices and can allow features for safety — such as by warning drivers of an impending collision or a vehicle losing control ahead, and traffic efficiency through optimising signal timing and enabling dynamic route management to cut congestion and fuel use. For the everyday Indian driver and future car buyer, the proposal marks a significant shift from conventional safety features such as airbags and seatbelts toward proactive digital systems designed to prevent crashes before they occur. The government’s primary motivation is a need to curb traffic deaths. India recorded an estimated 173,000 road fatalities and 463,000 injuries in 2023, the paper noted. The regulators argue that physical safety features inside vehicles are no longer sufficient, noting that roughly 92% of road accidents stem from failures in human recognition and decision-making — driver distraction, insufficient surveillance, misjudging distances and delayed reactions. “The first and the foremost reason for adoption of V2X Technology/Intelligent Transport System is to improve road safety and reduce road fatalities,” the paper states. “We as a nation are committed to reduce road fatalities and injuries by 50% by 2030” — a pledge India made as a signatory to the Stockholm Declaration in February 2020. Several economies have adopted regulatory and industrial groundwork for V2X, with carmakers embedding communication hardware in new models, cities retrofitting intersections with roadside units, and governments designating spectrum that was uncontested a decade ago. China is among the leaders in such efforts, but trials and early deployments have also been carried out in the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK Spectrum for an earlier vehicle communication standard was designated as far back as 2011 under the National Frequency Allocation Plan. The government’s own committee acknowledged in its report that this allocation had “not been meaningfully adopted or deployed, and this critical spectrum has largely been unused”. The consultation paper details how the new network would function, across four communication modes. One, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) — If a car roughly 400 metres ahead suddenly loses control or brakes hard, it will instantly transmit a “control loss warning” to trailing vehicles. The system can also activate pre-crash actions — triggering in-vehicle countermeasures when an impact is imminent. Two, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) — these will potentially allow smart traffic signals and road signs will broadcast data to approaching cars. Drivers approaching a blind curve at excessive speed will receive a curve speed warning; those on course to jump a signal will be alerted via a red light violation warning. Three, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) — this can allow vehicles to communicate with the mobile devices of pedestrians and cyclists, alerting drivers to anyone stepping into a blind spot. And four, vehicle-to-network (V2N) — using 4G and 5G cellular links, cars will connect to cloud services for dynamic route management, fleet monitoring and over-the-air software updates. Such features already exist in some vehicles. K Ravinder, principal scientist at the transportation planning division, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, said: “V2X infrastructure has clear safety benefits and has helped reduce accidents in countries where it is deployed. In India, the rollout should begin with expressways and other access-controlled corridors to test performance before wider adoption.” Ravinder added that older vehicles will pose a challenge for universal adoption. “All vehicles ideally need to be equipped for the system to work optimally. That transition will take time, especially given the mix of legacy vehicles on Indian roads,” he said. “The discussions with the government are still at a preliminary and largely informal stage, and no final decisions have been taken so far. Much will depend on how the policy framework around the 5.9GHz spectrum evolves, particularly with regard to its proposed de-licensing and the conditions attached to it. Until there is greater regulatory clarity, it would be premature to outline firm timelines or assess readiness in definitive terms from an industry perspective,” an auto industry stakeholder, who was part of meetings with the road transport ministry in recent days, said on condition of anonymity. He said vehicle-to-vehicle communication is relatively more straightforward than the vehicle-to-infrastructure and the broader V2X ecosystem. “There are also several technical and implementation-related layers that need to be addressed. It is not merely about enabling features within vehicles, but also about ensuring that the supporting infrastructure is in place and interoperable,” he said. The paper noted that demonstrations of such technology has been conducted on Indian roads. In 2022, zero-sum ITS Solutions, working with IIT-Hyderabad and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, conducted a real-world trial in which traffic infrastructure communicated with emergency vehicles and buses up to 800 metres away. Ambulances saw a 15 per cent reduction in travel time per trip; buses recorded an 80 per cent reduction in waiting time at signals. Recognising the scale of the undertaking, a task force constituted by the ministry of road transport and highways has recommended a phased rollout. The initial stage, called “Day-0,” will prioritise vehicle-to-vehicle features deployable immediately, without requiring extensive roadside infrastructure. Under the proposed architecture, vehicles will carry on-board units (OBUs), while government and private operators will install roadside units (RSUs) on traffic signals and highway corridors. The paper proposes OBUs be treated as licence-exempt devices — meaning drivers will not need a telecom licence to buy or use a connected car, much as they do not need one for a consumer electronics device. Roadside units, however, will require formal authorisation to prevent interference. The task force has also recommended that C-V2X test cases be incorporated into future revisions of Bharat NCAP — India’s car safety rating programme — at an appropriate stage once the ecosystem develops. If adopted, V2X readiness could eventually affect how new cars are rated for safety in the country, with direct implications for manufacturers and buyers. Thursday’s paper seeks public and industry feedback on several open questions: how to manage the 5.9GHz spectrum the vehicles will use; how to establish a “root of trust” — a public key infrastructure to prevent hackers from spoofing safety alerts; and whether spectrum charges should apply at all to technology classified as public safety infrastructure. The security architecture also raises a question the paper addresses. Because V2X messages continuously broadcast a vehicle’s location, speed, direction and timing, the system creates the potential for persistent tracking and profiling of user behaviour. “Without adequate safeguards, this could enable persistent surveillance… and misuse of personal data,” the paper warns.