New Delhi, Jan. 9 -- Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday announced that India will roll out vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology that will bring the number of road accidents significantly down. The technology, according to the minister, will enable cars to directly communicate with one another and issue automatic warnings to drivers. The system, currently deployed in a few countries, allows vehicles to exchange safety alerts without entering a mobile or internet network, Gadkari said. Gadkari said V2V communication will work across the front, rear and sides of vehicles, and will factor in terrain and road curves, allowing alerts even when hazards are hidden from a driver's line of sight. The technology will be integrated within Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), substantially enhancing their effectiveness. He said the estimated cost of the system would be Rs.5,000-Rs.7,000 per vehicle. The ministry is finalising standards and regulations, after which a notification will mandate installation in new vehicles first, followed by retrofitting in older vehicles. To support its implementation, the department of telecommunications will provide free spectrum under the National Frequency Allocation Plan, allowing vehicle manufacturers and on-board unit makers to deploy the system without additional spectrum costs. Gadkari said the government aims to fully implement the technology within the current year. Explaining how the move will strengthen existing safety features, V. Umashankar, secretary, ministry of road transport and highways, said the new system would complement ADAS by expanding what vehicles can respond to. "ADAS today largely depends on what the vehicle's sensors can detect," Umashankar said....