Telangana makes reflective tapes mandatory to curb night-time accidents

The Telangana government has rolled out stringent road safety guidelines mandating certified reflective tapes and rear marking plates for various vehicle categories. The move aims to reduce night-time accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles parked without proper visibility aids.

Hyderabad: In a push for road safety, the Telangana government has issued fresh guidelines making reflective tapes and rear marking plates mandatory for a wide range of vehicles to improve visibility at night and reduce accidents.

Vehicle owners will now be required to install only certified reflective materials, while inspection officers will verify compliance using QR codes before granting registration or fitness certifications.

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In an order, issued on Friday, the Transport, Roads and Buildings Department officials said that night-time accidents are often caused by poor visibility, particularly when heavy vehicles are parked on roads or travel slowly without adequate reflective markers.

As per the guidelines, two-wheelers, three-wheelers (including e-rickshaws), goods vehicles of all categories, passenger transport vehicles, buses, tractors, trailers, construction equipment, harvesters, and modular hydraulic trailers must be fitted with approved reflectors, reflective tapes, and rear marking plates in compliance with AIS 057, AIS 089, and AIS 090 standards.

To eliminate fake or substandard products, a QR-based Management Information System (MIS) will be used. Only reflective tapes and marking plates from empanelled Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will be accepted, and their authenticity must be verified through QR scanning during vehicle inspections.

The Transport Commissioner will empanel OEMs that meet Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) norms. Manufacturers, including foreign companies, must have registered subsidiaries in India and provide valid test and Conformity of Production (COP) certificates.

Further, fitness certificates and vehicle registrations will be renewed only if compliant reflective materials are affixed and verified. Any manufacturer found supplying counterfeit or substandard products will face forfeiture of bank guarantees and legal action.

Manufacturers must take immediate action against dealers or distributors found issuing false installation certificates or using fake products. Failure to act will result in revocation of their empanelment.

The Transport Commissioner has been directed to ensure strict implementation of these guidelines across the state and report compliance to the government.

This move is expected to significantly reduce fatal accidents, especially on highways where heavy vehicles often remain parked without warning lights or reflectors.