AI-Powered Road Safety: Centre Extends Tech Tools to States to Curb Rising Accident Toll
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is expanding its AI-driven safety initiative, proposing that states adopt advanced digital tools to combat the alarming rise in traffic accidents. Following the successful deployment of the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) platform on the National Highway network, the Centre is now encouraging state governments to utilize these technological frameworks to monitor local and state roads.
This pivot toward data-driven governance comes as India grapples with a persistent road safety crisis. Government data reveals that the nation witnessed 4,87,707 road accidents in 2024, resulting in 1,77,175 fatalities. This marks a concerning increase from 2023, which recorded 4,80,583 accidents and 1,72,890 deaths.
Targeting ‘Black Corridors’ with Precision
The eDAR platform has already proven its mettle by identifying over 6,300 “black corridors” across India’s National Highways. These high-risk segments—defined as continuous stretches containing multiple black spots—cover more than 6,400 kilometers of infrastructure. Between 2023 and 2025, these identified stretches were the sites of 37,164 fatalities.
Geographically, the data reveals significant variations in accident concentrations. Tamil Nadu currently reports the highest number of such high-risk corridors with 958, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 671 and Karnataka at 607. By extending the use of AI to analyze crash patterns on local roads, the Ministry hopes to provide state authorities with the granular data required to implement surgical interventions, ranging from targeted engineering changes to enhanced traffic enforcement.
Central Support for State Infrastructure
The initiative was a major focal point at the two-day “Chintan Shivir 2026,” held in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. At the event, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways offered to provide states with access to a suite of its digital ecosystems, including PM GatiShakti, the national Data Lake, the Bhoomi Rashi portal for land acquisition, and established contractor rating systems.
Beyond mere software access, the Centre has pledged technical support and capacity-building programs to ensure that state-level officials can effectively interpret and act upon the incoming data.
Improving Project Quality and Accountability
The discussions in Gujarat also underscored the need for a comprehensive overhaul of how road projects are conceived and supervised. The Ministry emphasized that the longevity and safety of road networks depend heavily on the quality of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs). Consequently, officials are pushing for more rigorous selection criteria for consultants and independent engineers, urging authorities to prioritize technical prowess and historical performance over lower-cost bids.
Furthermore, the government is encouraging states to diversify their funding and development models. By exploring the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and annuity-based models—which have become staples of National Highway development—the Centre believes states can better finance the construction and maintenance of safer State Highways and expressways.
As the government seeks to integrate these high-tech solutions at the grassroots level, the overarching goal remains clear: transforming India’s road safety landscape through the synergy of data-driven intelligence, improved engineering standards, and robust administrative oversight.
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