Speed limits on our roads and streets

“Breaking any law usually leads to unpleasant consequences but breaking a law related to speeding can lead to many consequences”Few days ago I saw a shattering news while reading newspaper that a child died after being hit by a car driven by a man who was driving very rashly at the speed of 80 km/h. Did I mention that he was driving in a street in residential area where a speed limit sign was also available? Shocked? even I was. I want to narrate a story that happened in front of my eyes. These three guys in their early twenties were riding a scooter on busy streets. They were at high speed (must be 60 something) and top of their Hooligan self when they crossed me. After a few seconds I watched them skid, fell down and surrounded by public. It took me roughly 2 minutes when I reached near them and saw that they skid because of sudden breaks they had to apply to save kids playing in the street. Yet they stopped only inches away from the kids. Now how safe is this?

What I can not understand is why people drive so fast crossing speed limit? Is it the excitement or impression of being good driver or fear of getting late to work (or to home). Whatever be the reason but the same reasons can put people in danger. So here primary concern is about the safety of the public including the driver from speed causing accidents. We all must understand that vehicles on the roads are allowed to run under a ceiling of speed limit.

However in India the idea and implementation of speed limit looks like an alienated concept. The authorized body has fixed maximum speed limits for different classes of vehicles at a national level like within town it is 50 km/h, for highways it is 80 km/h and there is no limit defined for expressways. The maximum speed limit for rural inner state is 90 Km/h. As speed vary by state and vehicle type so Delhi govt. has also fixed 60 km/h for light motor vehicles like cars/jeep/autorikhshaws etc. and 40 km/h for all heavy motor/transport vehicles including TSRs. According to ASP (Traffic) N S Ahlawat, the idea behind this is to ensure smooth flow of traffic and safety of the pedestrians. Not only this, to regulate the speed of motor vehicles on the roads of NCT of Delhi, Mr. Prabhakar (Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic Headquarters) been dictated speed limit of vehicles on the city roads. Know more about these speed limits here. There can be debates on whether these limits are right or not but before that we should abide by these limits.

Well Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) already is enforcing these limits by using cameras integrated with radar devices to snap the picture and license plate info and by putting Speed Limit Signs on the road sides. DTP is also in process of procuring night speed radar guns. These will help to catch motorists for speeding even after sunset, though the same is expected to be introduced only after Commonwealth Games in Delhi. One thing that I have found missing here is proper communication of these limits to the general public. How many of you knew about these limits prior to reading this post. The proper signage need to be put up not only the roads but on major streets as well. The drives for educating the public and enforcing law need to be taken up by the Delhi traffic police. We should not forget the streets when enforcing this law specifically because many such accidents happen on the streets. But above all enforcements we the drivers will have to understand and take the oath to drive sensibly. I would love to hear your input about this.

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Traffic Regulations in India

Traffic Regulations: Okay in my last post about the parking scenario in Delhi I have talked a lot about the wrong parking and improper usage of the roads. I guess we should also talk something about the traffic regulations which Delhi Government has formed for using the roads properly. I was browsing for the Traffic regulations in Delhi when I stumbled upon this site from Delhi Govt. Following are the excerpt for parking regulations.

DO NOT PARK at or near a road crossing or on top of a hill or on a footpath; too near a traffic light or pedestrian crossing; on a main road or a road with heavy traffic; in front of or opposite another parked vehicle to cause obstruction; on roads that have a white line; near a bus- stop, school or hospital entrance; right next to a traffic sign thereby blocking it for others; at the entrance of a building; near a fire hydrant thereby blocking access to it; where parking is specifically prohibited.


This rule, clearly lays out that Crossing (or too near a crossing) is not the ideal place for parking or even halts. This is a zone which is very critical for the moving traffic. We should always keep annoyance caused to others, in mind when we are on roads. Read more about Traffic Regulations from this site. After reading about the regulations lot of us would definitely make an effort to follow these traffic regulations, I know. We all are the part of very disciplined and law abiding society. But I guess I’ll also discuss the penalties for any defaulters. The penalty for the obstructive Parking is Rs. 100. If you wish to read more about the penalties for other traffic offences, visit http://www.delhitrafficpolice.nic.in/.

In my next post I would like to explore what I feel we (Government and Public) can do to make these roads more safe and more comfortable. We can learn from how other countries are handling these issues and from some of the parking laws internationally.
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