The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Reliance Jio to implement a comprehensive safety alert system across India’s national highways, leveraging Jio’s 4G and 5G networks.
The new initiative aims to improve road safety by delivering timely alerts via SMS, WhatsApp, and high-priority calls to drivers. These alerts will warn motorists in advance about risk areas such as accident-prone zones, stray cattle crossings, fog-affected stretches, and emergency diversions.
According to NHAI, the system will utilise Jio’s existing telecom towers, eliminating the need for additional roadside hardware, which allows for rapid deployment. The service will be integrated gradually with NHAI’s digital platforms, including the Rajmargyatra mobile app and the 1033 emergency helpline.
Initially, the alerts will be available only to Jio subscribers, but NHAI plans to extend the service to other telecom providers in the future.
NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav stated that integrating digital infrastructure with real-time communication will significantly enhance driver awareness and help reduce preventable accidents. He expressed confidence that this project would set a new benchmark in technology-enabled road safety management in India.
