Using mobile connectivity to tackle stray cattle accidents on highways: A real time initiative of NHAI

The highways of India are a lifeline of economic and social mobility, with many millions of vehicles a day on them. Along with the multiple documented problems of traffic congestion and climate extremes, there is one particular risk that is unique to India had continued to be a challenge is of the cattle movement on high-speed roads, leading to deadly accidents. It is in this context that a new pilot initiative using real time mobile alerts has been launched, as a practical response to a recurring safety problem documented over years of accident data.

Why this intervention was needed

Stray cattle on highways are not a marginal issue. In several northern and western states, especially Rajasthan and Haryana, highways cut through agrarian and semi-urban belts where cattle movement is part of daily life. During foggy winter months or low visibility conditions, the risk multiplies at exponential rate. In majority of cases motorists suffers the accident with animals at a late stage, which makes motorists impossible for them to apply brake, thus resulting in crashes, vehicle pile up also lead to secondary crashes. The problem has been tackled using signposts, barriers and police patrols, though its not comprehensively applied in long sections where the grazing pattern is unpredictable.

The need was for a system that could warn drivers before they entered a high risk zone, giving them time to slow down and stay alert. This is the rationale behind the pilot launched during Road Safety Month 2026 by National Highways Authority of India in collaboration with telecom service providers. Instead of relying only on static infrastructure, the initiative uses mobile connectivity to reach drivers directly in real time.

How this pilot projects work

The pilot is currently operational on the Jaipur-Agra and Jaipur-Rewari highway corridors, stretches identified as prone to stray cattle movement based on historical accident records and field level assessments. Drivers approaching these zones receive a location based Flash SMS around 10 km in advance, followed by a voice alert in Hindi warning them of a cattle prone stretch ahead. To avoid alert fatigue, the system ensures that repeat messages are not sent to the same user within a 30 minute window.

It is important to acknowledge the fact that the warnings are not mass messages but are triggered only when people are in the mapped high risk area and hence the warning is appropriate and in time. This requires special support from the telecom infrastructure and in the case of Reliance Jio, it is ready to support the entire country in case there is expansion of the pilot initiative.

Do other countries use similar services?

Globally several countries have adopted animal warning systems, but their context is different. In the United States and Canada, electronic signboards and sensors are utilized in wildlife corridors that notify drivers of deer or moose crossings. Scandinavian nations have utilized infrared sensors and roadside sensors that detect large animals such as elk. Australia uses dynamic signboards that notify drivers in areas that are prone to kangaroos.

These systems are predominantly infrastructure intensive and site specific. They require sensors, cameras or fixed electronic displays, which are quite expensive to establish and maintain throughout the extensive network of highways. This application has been tailored to wildlife crossing points where the population density is high and this does not represent the human wildlife coexistence paradigm.

What makes India’s approach unique

India’s pilot stands out because it leverages an asset already in the hands of most highway users the mobile phone. In contrast to having to wait for the drivers to be aware of the signpost through the signboard in conditions of fog or darkness, the alert message reaches the driver in the handset. It is made accessible using Flash SMS and phone calls.

One of the notable features of the project is the implementation of historical accident data alongside ground level inputs for mapping the accident prone areas for the cattle. The data based identification enables the project to concentrate on the particular sections of the highway where the danger is actual, as opposed to the entire highway being treated as one area. The project demonstrates awareness of behavioral safety, as the messages are restricted in frequency to ensure the audience does not get a chance to dismiss the alert.

In policy terms, this pilot initiative complements the Indian government effort to embrace intelligent transport systems that improve safety with minimal burden on citizens. It also demonstrates how public infrastructure agencies and private telecom operators can collaborate for a clear public good.

The road ahead

The pilot’s outcomes will determine whether the system is scaled up to other cattle prone corridors across the country. If successful it could work in conjunction with other methods, rather than displacing them such as fences, lighting and enforcement. Most importantly, it counteracts a local and pervasive danger in an appropriate and adapted manner.

In doing so the initiative marks a shift from reactive accident response to preventive road safety quietly, without exaggeration but with the potential to save lives on highways where a few seconds of warning can make all the difference.