120kmph limit is dangerous, reduce it, HC orders Centre

120kmph limit is dangerous, reduce it, HC orders Centre

Chennai:15.09.2021

Flagging ‘overspeed’ on highways, the Madras high court has quashed a central notification issued in 2018, increasing the speed limit of vehicles on them from 100kmph to 120kmph.

In a recent order, the HC blamed ‘overspeeding’ for most road accidents and directed the Centre to set the speed limit as per an August 5, 2014 notification, which prescribed 80kmph as maximum speed on highways.

Refusing to accept the stand taken by the Union government that the speed limit had been fixed by an expert committee considering the improvement in the infrastructure and better engine technology of vehicles, a division bench of justices N Kirubakaran (since retired) and TV Thamilselvi said: “When overspeeding is a major cause for road accidents, it is not known as to how the improvement in road infrastructure and engine technology would reduce accidents.”

In fact, better engine technology would always be a reason for uncontrolled speed and thereby cause more accidents, the court said. It added that authorities must use modern gadgets like speed gun, speed indication display to find out the speeding vehicle and punish the driver. TNN