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Kerala to digitise vehicle safety inspections following autorickshaw fatality

Kerala's Motor Vehicles Department plans to introduce a digital inspection system to enhance vehicle safety checks. The initiative follows a detailed inquiry into an autorickshaw driver's death, with recommendations focusing on streamlined, transparent inspection procedures.

LSN India · 9 September 2026

Kerala to digitise vehicle safety inspections following autorickshaw fatality

The Motor Vehicles Department in Kerala is set to overhaul its vehicle inspection regime by introducing a comprehensive digital system aimed at improving transparency and efficiency. The modernisation drive follows an investigation into the death of an autorickshaw driver, which highlighted systemic gaps in the current inspection framework.

Under the proposed digital platform, each vehicle inspection will be assigned a unique digital identification number, creating a traceable record of all safety checks conducted. The system will incorporate a standardised digital checklist of potential defects, ensuring consistency across inspections and reducing the scope for arbitrary assessments.

A key feature of the new framework will be the mandatory documentation of identified defects through photographic and video evidence. This visual documentation requirement is intended to provide objective proof of vehicle conditions and inspection findings, bolstering accountability in the inspection process.

The initiative represents a significant shift toward leveraging technology to strengthen vehicle safety standards across the state. By digitising critical inspection data and introducing multimedia documentation, Kerala aims to enhance public safety on its roads while establishing a more standardised and transparent vehicle certification process.

The department has indicated it will move forward with implementation of the digital inspection system as part of broader reforms to vehicle safety oversight.