By Kavita Mistry 
Your FASTag could soon do much more than just pay tolls — it may soon become a real-time safety tool. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is developing a system to link FASTag with live accident data from its new Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) platform. The initiative aims to identify and alert drivers about accident-prone “black spots” on highways based on real-time inputs from state police. MoRTH is preparing to release the latest list of black spots for 2023 and 2024, marking the first time such stretches will be mapped through a digital system using data from both e-DAR and the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD).
Mapping and Monitoring India’s Highway Black Spots Through Real-Time Data Integration
Black spots are defined as 500-metre stretches of highway that have recorded at least five serious accidents or ten deaths over three years. So far, MoRTH has identified over 13,700 black spots across India’s national highway network and completed long-term fixes on 5,036 of them. With the integration of e-DAR, the ministry expects quicker identification and resolution of emerging danger zones, helping to prevent future crashes. The e-DAR system allows police officers to record accident details instantly using a mobile app, which geo-tags and timestamps each incident. The data is then sent to MoRTH’s Transport Research Wing (TRW) for analysis and pattern recognition.
Historically, road safety efforts were slowed by mismatched data between state police and central databases. However, MoRTH reports that discrepancies have now fallen below five percent due to improved coordination. In some states, like Punjab, gaps still exist — TRW recorded 4,759 road fatalities in 2024, while e-DAR logged only 533 — but officials are working to standardize reporting.
FASTag Integration: Turning Toll Tags into Smart Road Safety Tools
The ministry’s next step could be to integrate this real-time accident data with FASTag. By linking e-DAR with the FASTag network, drivers approaching black spots might receive instant voice or visual alerts through navigation apps or in-vehicle systems, helping them react in time. Such a system could also track emergency responses and ensure faster help for crash victims.
As India strives to cut road deaths by 50 percent by 2030, the combined use of e-DAR, iRAD, and FASTag could transform highway safety, turning regular toll tags into smart, life-saving tools for safer journeys.
Summary:
The government plans to link FASTag with live accident data from the e-DAR system to alert drivers about highway black spots in real time. Using inputs from police and the iRAD database, MoRTH aims to reduce crashes, improve emergency response, and achieve a 50% cut in road deaths by 2030.