To improve road safety and curb the growing number of fatal crashes in Gurugram, the traffic police, in collaboration with Google, have begun displaying speed limits and accident-prone zones on its GPS navigation app, Google Maps, across 129 city roads starting from Thursday, traffic officials said on Friday.
The feature, announced by the traffic police on Thursday, will alert motorists about the permissible speed limit and high-risk stretches in real time. This will help drivers maintain safe speeds and avoid sudden lane changes which is a major cause of road fatalities, said officials.
Dr Rajesh Mohan, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (traffic), said the project aims to make motorists more conscious of their responsibility behind the wheel. “Many crashes take place because commuters drive rashly on busy stretches. The navigation app will now issue speed limit alerts in real-time, reminding them to slow down and drive responsibly,” he said.
He added that collaboration with technology partners like Google marks a shift towards proactive traffic enforcement. “A driver who maintains a speed of around 30 kilometres per hour in congested areas has a much higher chance of surviving a collision. With this system, we’re preventing accidents before they happen,” said DCP Mohan.
This move comes amid alarming accident statistics released by traffic police which shows that this year 345 deaths and over 580 injuries in road accidents were recorded across Gurugram
A senior police officer said that accident-prone locations such as NH-48, Dwarka Expressway, Sohna Road, and Golf Course Extension Road will soon display virtual caution markers on navigation apps. “The idea is to create a virtual warning system for motorists. Alongside Google integration, we are also increasing enforcement through ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras, drones, and digital challans,” the officer said.
According to police data, 50 accidents this year occurred on expressways including NH-48, Dwarka Expressway, and the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway. In 2024, Gurugram recorded 448 deaths and over 1,000 accidents, making it one of Haryana’s most accident-prone districts.
Residents have welcomed the move but stressed that enforcement should go hand-in-hand with awareness. Rohit Saini, a corporate employee who commutes daily from Sector 57 to Cyber City, said, “Speed alerts on Google Maps will definitely help, especially at night. Many drivers, including cab and delivery riders, have no idea about local speed limits. These reminders can save lives.”
Another resident, Komal Sharma from Sector 83, said, “Technology can help, but only if people fear consequences. I’ve seen cars racing on Dwarka Expressway as if it’s a track. There should be patrol teams and instant penalties,” she said.
Officials said five commuters were booked last month for rash driving and abrupt lane changes along NH-48. Their vehicles were seized, and FIRs were registered under Section 285 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for causing danger and obstruction on public roads.
DCP Mohan said that a multi-layered strategy combining public awareness, tech-enabled alerts, and on-ground enforcement is being implemented. “Traffic discipline cannot be achieved through policing alone. It requires awareness, community participation, and accountability. Our focus is on saving lives, not just issuing fines,” he said.
The Gurugram traffic police plan to expand the digital alert feature to more than 200 city roads by early next year, covering all major junctions and arterial routes.
“Technology can’t replace responsible driving,” Dr Mohan added, “but it can certainly guide it.”