Hyderabad: To improve road safety at night by enhancing vehicle visibility, the Telangana government has issued new guidelines for ‘vehicles visibility at night time’. Under the new rules, vehicles must install approved reflectors, reflective tapes, and rear marking plates. The decision follows repeated incidents of accidents caused by stationary or slow-moving vehicles during low visibility conditions and aligns with Supreme Court directives on road safety.

The guidelines state that night-time road accidents are primarily caused by heavy vehicles parked on roads or moving slowly, leading to collisions in poor visibility. It is now mandatory to install approved reflective materials that comply with national standards (AIS 057, AIS 090, AIS 089) on vehicles. This rule applies to a wide range of transport, including two and three-wheelers, goods vehicles, commercial cabs, buses, tractors, and trailers. Failure to comply may result in the denial of vehicle registration or fitness certificate renewal.

To prevent the use of fake or substandard reflective products, the Transport Department will implement a QR-based Management Information System (MIS). Only reflective tapes and rear marking plates verified through this system will be accepted for vehicle registration or renewal. The Transport Commissioner will empanel manufacturers approved by testing agencies, who must maintain a QR-based MIS to track their products. Vehicle inspectors are mandated to verify these QR codes before registering or renewing a vehicle’s fitness certificate. Fully built vehicles with factory-fitted tapes from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are exempt from this verification.