Goa, May 13 -- The Supreme Court directed all states and union territories on Wednesday to urgently install speed governors, vehicle location tracking devices (VLTDs), and emergency panic buttons in passenger transport vehicles under Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR). A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan flagged abysmal compliance during a road safety PIL, noting less than 1% of vehicles have VLTDs despite rising accident deaths.

The court decried violations of Rule 118 (speed governors) and Rule 125H (VLTDs and panic buttons), which enable GPS tracking to a central command center for emergencies like abductions or medical distress. Panic buttons alert police instantly. Justices emphasized lane discipline training, even f...