India To Release Real-Time Black Spot Data To Curb Highway Fatalities
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is preparing to release the latest black spot data for 2023 and 2024 based on the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) and Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD) systems. The platform, which captures real-time information from state police, aims to make accident data more accurate, timely, and actionable for preventive infrastructure planning.
Black spots defined as 500-metre stretches with a high concentration of fatal or grievous accidents represent critical locations on India’s national highway network. Under the current criteria, a segment is classified as a black spot if it records at least five severe crashes or ten fatalities over a three-year period. Until now, the available dataset covered incidents only up to 2022, limiting the government’s ability to respond promptly to emerging danger zones.
According to senior ministry officials, the new e-DAR-based compilation will fill that gap by providing live, geo-tagged information to engineers and planners. “Data from the e-DAR system has been validated across states, and discrepancies with traditional reporting have been reduced to under 5%. The 2023–24 black spot analysis will be released shortly,” an official confirmed.The e-DAR and iRAD systems, rolled out nationwide between 2021 and 2022, are designed to integrate accident data across departments including police, transport authorities, and road engineers. Each reported crash is geo-tagged and logged digitally by first responders via mobile apps, enabling the central database to identify accident-prone corridors with near real-time accuracy.
Between 2016 and 2022, MoRTH identified 13,795 black spots on national highways, of which corrective measures have been implemented on 5,036. The latest dataset aims to support more proactive interventions, such as redesigning intersections, installing crash barriers, and improving road lighting.While some discrepancies persist notably in states like Punjab and Jharkhand efforts are ongoing to harmonise police records with digital inputs. For 2024, officials noted a variance of less than 4% between the e-DAR and the ministry’s Transport Research Wing datasets, signalling strong progress in data synchronisation.
Experts say the e-DAR initiative could transform India’s road safety strategy by linking digital governance with infrastructure design. Beyond accident prevention, the system also contributes to sustainable mobility planning by prioritising safer, more efficient travel corridors an essential step towards equitable and resilient transport networks in a rapidly urbanising country.
