As India progresses in direction of enhanced security requirements, high-tech autos geared up with ADAS options are more and more turning into the norm reasonably than the exception. This evolution calls for that highway infrastructure and security merchandise evolve in tandem, fostering a synergistic ecosystem for safer and smarter mobility. From highway signage to security obstacles, crash cushions, and terminals, your entire highway infrastructure and security options require a complete overhaul to align with the altering dynamics of contemporary transportation.“As our autos turn out to be smarter and extra linked, so should our highway infrastructure and supporting security options. Gone are the times when each facet of the highway ecosystem was addressed in silos, resulting in a fragmented mixture of approaches. The necessity of the hour is a complete technique that integrates Clever Visitors Administration Techniques (ITMS) and communication infrastructure on the core of highway venture design. This holistic method will guarantee seamless connectivity, enhanced security, and a better mobility ecosystem,” says Ashwini Bagga, a Highway Security Skilled.
He provides, “The vastness of India’s highway community, coupled with challenges like upkeep, numerous terrains, and public consciousness, makes the duty cumbersome however not unachievable. We have to return to the drafting board, bringing collectively all stakeholders to establish and implement the correct options to assist the subsequent section of development within the transportation sector.”
Explaining that India has began to undertake extra safer highway facet furnishings corresponding to affect attenuators, crash obstacles/security guardrails method finish terminals, motorcyclist safety units and bridge parapets, Mahesh Chandra Garg, Chairman, Goodluck India Restricted, says, “This furnishings has been obtainable within the international market, nevertheless the laws and guideline weren’t supportive for using the identical. In India, we nonetheless do not need IoT linked highway facet security furnishings.”
Garg additional provides that efficiency examined gear is getting used now on the roads. “A full-scale crash check is carried out on the furnishings the place it’s evaluated as per varied international criterions. Natrax, first full-scale crash testing facility has opened in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh the place firms in India can check their very own domestically designed furnishings. Varied tips like IRC 119 (Indian Roads Congress) are additionally underneath revision the place safer gear shall be integrated within the design of the roads.”
Historically, security obstacles and parapets had been designed based mostly on nationwide specs and engineering fashions with out present process full-scale crash testing. These designs primarily catered to regular containment ranges, corresponding to passenger vehicles, and weren’t evaluated for automobile affect and heavy autos, in addition to efficiency underneath heavier or numerous site visitors eventualities. Nonetheless, with the evolving automotive panorama and improved highway high quality, there’s a rising must mandate using licensed security obstacles that endure rigorous full-scale crash testing. Such obstacles guarantee enhanced security by accounting for the affect dynamics of assorted autos, together with heavy autos, and adapting to fashionable site visitors calls for. “Globally increasingly more international locations are adopting the use or European EN 1317 or US MASH and efficiency examined roadside furnishings. Use or efficiency examined methods has lowered run off highway accident by greater than 28% in EU,” says Garg.
Reflecting on highway signage that could be a important element of highway infrastructure and security options, Pawan Kumar Singh, Nation Enterprise Chief (Transportation & Electronics Enterprise Group), 3M India Restricted, says, “Highway indicators in India has transitioned from easy, text-based markers influenced by British requirements in the course of the colonial period to fashionable, internationally aligned methods. Probably the most important a part of a highway signal is the reflective materials.”
Publish-independence, the IRC launched the primary Handbook on Highway Indicators in 1977, establishing standardised symbols and retroreflective supplies for higher visibility. Subsequent revisions in 2001, 2010, and 2022 introduced better alignment with international conventions just like the Vienna Conference, incorporating tourism indicators, city security indicators, and provisions for high-speed roads. “Current developments embrace using Kind XI retroreflective sheeting (evolution from Kind I which makes use of glass bead expertise in early period to Kind XI sheeting makes use of full dice expertise), digital printing expertise, and rising good variable message indicators for real-time site visitors updates, reflecting India’s rising concentrate on highway security and technological innovation,” shares Singh.
A important component in highway signage that ensures visibility throughout each day and evening is retroreflective sheeting. This expertise works by reflecting a considerable portion of incoming gentle again towards its supply, making the indicators extremely seen to drivers underneath varied lighting situations. This characteristic is especially important for ADAS-enabled autos, as their sensors can successfully detect and interpret these retroreflective indicators, enabling well timed responses and enhancing total highway security.
“The rising client demand for security options in autos is pushing the boundaries of highway security innovation. It is a two-way avenue – safer vehicles want safer roads, and vice versa. This thrilling convergence of expertise and infrastructure holds immense promise for a future the place Indian roads are a haven for drivers and pedestrians alike,” says Rajat Mahajan, Associate, Deloitte India, including that linked vehicles with ADAS performance is turning into a norm, and that one of many prime causes is the highway infrastructure high quality and breadth.
India’s highway community has grown to turn out to be the 2nd largest on the earth, including near 34 Kms per day together with state-of-the-art multi-lane nationwide highways. “Regardless of such spectacular highway community, round eighty thousand persons are killed in highway crashes yearly. Greater than 80% of the accidents occur as a result of driver negligence. Different main causes are lack of highway security consciousness and inconsistent highway security norms throughout nationwide, and state highways,” says Mahajan.
Whereas ADAS-enabled vehicles are set to play a pivotal position in minimizing driver error and lowering accidents, there’s additionally important client curiosity in options that present real-time highway security updates. In response to the Deloitte 2024 GACS report, 88% of respondents are keen to share private info if it helps them obtain highway security updates, highlighting a rising demand for smarter, linked security options.
India has taken important strides to boost highway security infrastructure with revolutionary options like good site visitors indicators that detect congestion and robotically regulate gentle timings, guaranteeing smoother site visitors move and lowering accidents. Some cities have gone a step additional by implementing AI-powered methods to foretell potential accident-prone zones, enabling proactive measures corresponding to elevated patrolling or enhanced signage to safeguard commuters.
Moreover, the federal government has launched the Built-in Highway Accident Database (IRAD) to determine a standardised and correct highway accident information assortment system nationwide. This initiative goals to establish patterns and causes of accidents, finally aiding in formulating data-driven methods to enhance highway security throughout the nation.
“Enhancing visibility can enhance highway person confidence, improve the general person expertise, and considerably enhance security,” says Singh, highlighting 3M’s newest improvements in highway security. The all-weather highway marking options guarantee visibility underneath all climate situations, whereas the Superior Warning Pavement Marker enhances visibility and supplies audible warnings in high-risk areas. Moreover, the Sensible Variable Message Signal presents real-time site visitors updates, together with stay journey instances and site visitors congestion info.
“Efficient implementation of highway indicators and different site visitors security units can improve the security. Mumbai – Pune Expressway & Outdated Mumbai – Pune Freeway reported greater than 50% discount in highway fatalities in previous few years,” says Singh.
Consultants emphasize the pressing want for certifications within the highway infrastructure and highway security area, just like the stringent guidelines and certifications’ autos endure, such because the BNCAP (Bharat New Automotive Evaluation Program), GNCAP, and CMVR (Central Motor Autos Guidelines). These certifications would be certain that highway infrastructure and security options are aligned with evolving automobile applied sciences and international benchmarks. Moreover, they might assist fill the hole created by the shortage of enforcement in implementing present requirements inside the highway infrastructure and highway security house.
