SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways | National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
To commemorate ‘Road Safety Month 2026’, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched a pilot initiative to deliver real-time safety alerts to commuters approaching stray cattle-prone zones. Developed in collaboration with telecom service providers, the project aims to reduce accidents caused by sudden animal movement, particularly during foggy and low-visibility conditions. The pilot is currently being implemented on two high-risk stretches: the Jaipur–Agra and Jaipur–Rewari National Highway corridors.
Technological Delivery and User Experience
Advance Warning System: Location-based alerts are triggered approximately 10 km before identified high-risk stretches, providing commuters sufficient lead time to take precautionary measures.
Dual-Alert Mechanism: Commuters receive a Flash SMS in Hindi, followed by a voice alert, advising them to drive slowly and cautiously due to stray cattle activity ahead.
Prevention of Alert Fatigue: To maintain the effectiveness of the warnings, the system is designed to not issue repeat alerts to the same user within a 30-minute window. his approach maintains the psychological “urgency” of the Flash SMS and voice alert, ensuring that commuters remain attentive to the warning rather than dismissing it as a repetitive notification.
Telecom Integration: The initiative utilizes upgraded telecom infrastructure, with Reliance Jio having upgraded its platform to facilitate nationwide delivery of these real-time alerts.
Data-Driven Implementation
Risk Mapping: Cattle-prone zones are identified using a combination of historical accident data and real-time field-level inputs.
Strategic Scaling: Based on the outcomes and effectiveness observed on the pilot corridors, NHAI will evaluate scaling the initiative to other identified high-risk zones across the country.
Policy Relevance
The pilot represents a significant shift toward utilizing Internet of Things (IoT) and telecom-based behavioral interventions to enhance road safety in India.
Strategic Impact for India:
Enhancing Human and Animal Safety: By providing real-time warnings, the initiative directly supports the National Road Safety Policy to reduce fatalities on high-speed corridors.
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Leverage: The collaboration with major telecom providers showcases how India’s robust digital network can be repurposed for public safety and emergency response.
Climate-Adaptive Safety: The focus on low-visibility conditions makes the system a vital tool for managing road safety during increasingly unpredictable extreme weather events and dense winter fog.
Behavioral Governance: Instead of relying solely on physical barriers like fencing, this method uses real-time information to influence driver psychology and promote safer speed limits.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can real-time digital alert systems be institutionally integrated with local cattle management, and highway design to ensure sustained reductions in animal-related road fatalities beyond pilot corridors?
Follow the full news here: NHAI Launches Pilot for Real-Time Stray Cattle Safety Alert on National Highways