New Delhi: The death of a 22-year-old man in a crash while he was allegedly driving at 202 kmph in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Kunj on Diwali has once again brought the spotlight on rampant speeding in the capital.The scale of the problem is reflected in traffic police data, which shows that an average of 7,535 notices for speeding were issued to motorists every day in the city this year till Oct, or nearly 23 lakh notices in all. In addition, traffic personnel caught 49 motorists speeding during this period and issued challans on the spot.For comparison, Delhi Traffic Police issued over 27.6 lakh speeding notices during the entire previous year, while 25 motorists were instantly challaned.A senior police officer said motorists caught speeding cited various reasons for drivers violating speed limits. “Some said they were in a hurry, while others admitted to speeding for the thrill of it,” he said, adding that the problem tends to worsen at night, particularly on expressways.Under Motor Vehicles Act, motorists caught speeding face a fine of Rs 2,000 for light motor vehicles (LMVs), while drivers of medium and heavy motor vehicles (MMVs/HTVs) are liable to pay Rs 4,000. Around 250 speed-detection cameras have been installed across the city to monitor vehicles.Joint CP (traffic) Sanjay Tyagi said traffic police are taking several measures to curb the menace, including installing speed-limit signboards, taking enforcement action and coordinating with civic agencies to build speed breakers at vulnerable stretches. “Traffic-calming devices are also being installed. Apart from enforcement, we are focusing on public awareness and road engineering to improve road safety,” he said.Anil Chhikara, former Delhi deputy transport commissioner, said Indian society, govts and vehicle manufacturers have failed to discourage high-speed driving. Automakers aggressively market vehicles based on high power ratings and massive torque, while society glorifies a passion for speed. As a result, modern passenger vehicles are often built with disproportionate power — many SUVs and high-end motorcycles now rival or exceed the horsepower of commercial buses and trucks.This obsession with speed has deadly consequences. Official records consistently show that speeding is the primary cause of road accident fatalities in India, accounting for over 70% of all road deaths. Beyond breaking traffic laws, high-speed driving pushes past biological limits — at extreme velocities, human reflexes and nervous system responses simply cannot react fast enough to prevent crashes.“To solve this crisis, govt must mandate intelligent speed limiters across all vehicle categories — from two-wheelers to heavy motor vehicles. By using GPS and geofencing technology, vehicles can be automatically regulated to match official speed limits of any given road. Moving away from manual policing towards foolproof, built-in technical enforcement is the most effective way to curb reckless driving and save lives on Indian roads,” Chhikara said.
