Maruti Suzuki India by joining hands with Microsoft Research India has developed a smart phone based technology for testing applicants of driver’s license. The new technology - HAMS (Harnessing Automobile for Safety) – is introduced in association with the Motor Vehicle Department of Uttarakhand and has been deployed at Automated Driving Test Centre (ADTC), Dehradun.

HAMS, or 'Harnessing Auto Mobiles for Safety' in elongation, is originally a Microsoft Research Project that started in 2016 and was conceived as a system to monitor drivers and their driving, with the aim of improving road safety. With this new tech, the driver’s license test will now be conducted by a smartphone attached to the test car’s windshield and without an evaluator present in the vehicle.

Commenting on the deployment, Ajay Kumar Tomer, Executive Advisor, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Maruti Suzuki started its driving training initiative in 2000. We have cumulatively trained over 3.4 million drivers nationally. Efficient testing of candidates seeking driver’s license is an important step towards imparting good driving behaviour. Use of latest technologies help bring transparency. HAMS, developed in partnership with Microsoft Research India, is an important tool to modernize the driving license test in our country. Starting with ADTC Dehradun, this technology will be introduced in more centres across several States.”

While introducing the benefits to civilians, Shailesh Bagauli, IAS, Secretary, Department of Transport, Government of Uttarakhand, said, “The Government of Uttarakhand is very proud to start this state-of-the-art initiative, where we are using mobile phone-based technology to conduct driver testing. We are delighted to partner with Microsoft and IDTR in this initiative. I am sure we will be able to deliver services in a transparent manner to our citizens.”

Elucidating the HAMS technology, Sriram Rajamani, Managing Director, Microsoft Research India, said, “Positively impacting society by combining technology and human ingenuity has been a core objective for us, and the HAMS project is a great example of this. We use technology to help drivers drive safely. It is inspiring that Maruti Suzuki India and the Department of Transport, Government of Uttarakhand see the potential to save lives using HAMS technology and are piloting this technology to help make Indian roads safer.”

With HAMS, takes only 10 minutes to complete the test and generate the report. Interestingly, the average pass rate has reduced significantly from 90 percent (manual testing) to stand at 54 percent now.