RESEARCHERS at different Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are working on development of a first-of-its kind “smart speed warning system” for vehicles which will alert the driver on the basis of road infrastructure and geographical location to avoid over-speeding related crashes. According to statistics available with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, about 70 per cent of road fatalities in India occur due to over-speeding. To minimise such fatalities, the Government had mandated that all new cars sold from July 1, 2019, should include a speed governor device that will generate intermittent warning beeps for above 80 kmph and the constant beep for above 120 kmph for drivers. To further reduce damage to lives, the fine for speeding was increased by ten times under the new Motor Vehicles Act of 2019. However, the researchers at IIT Guwahati and Bombay believe the current speed governing device is a “one size fits all” solution and does not have much intelligence and the same system cannot effectively work while driving in hilly terrains, plains or desert areas.

 

“Our studies revealed the safe speed for a vehicle can significantly vary with changes in road geometry like on sharp or blind curves or hairpin bends. Therefore, there is a need to develop a smart speed warning system incorporating a dynamic and adaptable speed threshold based on upcoming road infrastructure to avoid overspeeding-related crashes,” Akhilesh Kumar Maurya, Civil Engineering Professor at IIT Guwahati, told PTI. “Traditional warning systems are based on the fixed speed threshold, however, the concept of a smart warning system is based on upcoming road infrastructure and vehicle location.