The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned why the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) could not introduce an electronic surveillance mechanism to immediately identify and track vehicles parked or left stationary on highways. The court raised the issue while hearing a suo motu case concerning road safety and accidents, including a November 2025 crash in Rajasthan’s Phalodi that claimed 15 lives. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Augustine George Masih and Sandeep Mehta sought to know whether technology could be deployed more effectively to detect stationary vehicles and enable authorities to respond before they become a hazard to other road users.

The issue was raised after senior advocate A N S Nadkarni, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, referred to recent road accidents allegedly involving vehicles parked or left stationary on highways. The discussion focused on whether existing highway monitoring arrangements were sufficient to identify such vehicles quickly. The bench questioned why an authority with the resources available to NHAI could not use electronic surveillance to locate vehicles that remain stationary on major highways. The court’s observation placed emphasis on prevention and rapid detection rather than relying solely on physical patrols after a potentially dangerous situation has already developed.

“Why can't the NHAI, which has got all the resources with it, have some kind of an electronic surveillance mechanism by which any vehicle found stationary or parked on the highways be immediately tracked,” the bench observed. The suggestion effectively raises the possibility of using technology to complement conventional highway patrols. A system capable of detecting stationary vehicles could potentially alert highway authorities to incidents involving breakdowns, unauthorised parking or other obstructions. However, the court did not direct NHAI during Tuesday’s hearing to immediately introduce a particular surveillance technology or specify how such a system should operate.

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An advocate appearing in the matter informed the court that NHAI already conducts patrolling on highways. The submission indicated that physical surveillance and inspections are among the measures currently used to monitor highway conditions and identify potential hazards. The court’s query nevertheless suggested that it was examining whether patrol-based monitoring could be strengthened through electronic systems capable of providing quicker alerts. Such mechanisms could be particularly relevant on stretches where traffic moves at high speeds and a stationary vehicle can pose a serious collision risk, especially at night or in conditions where visibility is reduced.

The Supreme Court also considered the broader issue of encroachments and obstructions on highways during Tuesday’s proceedings. It was informed that several interlocutory applications had been filed in connection with the case. The bench posted the matter for October 13 and said it would consider applications relating to the removal of encroachments from highways. The proceedings therefore cover a wider road-safety concern beyond stationary vehicles, including the presence of unauthorised structures or other obstacles that can interfere with the safe movement of traffic. The court has been monitoring these issues as part of its suo motu proceedings following serious road accidents.

The court had previously raised concerns about highway encroachments and vehicles parked on roads during an earlier hearing in September. At that time, NHAI told the Supreme Court that it had issued circulars directing regular inspections and patrolling to identify and address unauthorised parking on highways. The authority’s existing measures were therefore placed under scrutiny as the court examined whether further intervention was necessary. Tuesday’s discussion indicated that the court was considering whether technological tools could supplement those instructions and improve the speed with which stationary vehicles are detected and dealt with.

The proceedings stem from the Supreme Court’s broader examination of road safety following the November 2025 accident in Phalodi, Rajasthan, in which 15 people were killed. By raising the possibility of electronic monitoring, the bench has brought technology into the discussion on preventing collisions involving vehicles that remain stationary on highways. The court is expected to take up the pending applications concerning highway encroachments and related road-safety measures when the matter returns on October 13. The eventual proceedings could determine whether NHAI needs to strengthen its existing patrolling system or consider additional technological mechanisms for monitoring India’s highways.

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