New Delhi: The Delhi Traffic Police is partnering with Google Maps to mark and highlight "black spots"—accident-prone areas—across Delhi to alert commuters in real-time as they approach these hazardous zones. A black spot is defined as the midpoint of a road section where multiple accidents have occurred repeatedly within a 500-metre radius on both sides.

This initiative, expected to launch this year, will initially use the accident data and black spot list compiled for 2024, which identified 111 such spots associated with over 1,132 accidents, including 483 fatalities. Some of the most accident-prone corridors include Outer Ring Road, Ring Road, GT Karnal Road, Rohtak Road, NH-8, and Najafgarh Road. The alerts on Google Maps aim to raise driver awareness, encourage safer driving practices such as slowing down and avoiding sudden lane changes, thus potentially reducing accidents and fatalities.

Authorities see this as an innovative integration of technology with road safety efforts, complementing existing measures like stricter speed enforcement, improved road engineering, and deployment of traffic personnel. The system is expected to improve commuter safety by providing timely warnings about dangerous stretches, bridging a gap between infrastructure safety and driver behaviour.

The Delhi Police also plans to coordinate with road-owning agencies to enhance signage, road design, and strategic deployment of personnel at these black spots, making the initiative a comprehensive approach to reducing road accidents in the city with over 30 million vehicles registered in Delhi NCR.