Court to government: Why are cars faster than speed limit allowed in India

Speeding, popularly known as overspeeding, is a big problem in India. It’s said to be a cause of many accidents, and a lot of lives lost. While the government has speed limits for almost every road in India, few follow them.  The government is also lax in implementing these limits strictly. Now, the courts have stepped in, and are asking why cars are allowed to overspeed in India.

What?

A Madras High Court judge Justice N. Kirubakaran has asked the Government of India as to why vehicles sold in the country are allowed to cross the speed limit. The judge pointed at a 1989 Madras High Court directive, which asked the Indian government to control the production of such vehicles.

Justice Kirubakaran noted that if vehicles’ speeds were limited to the speed limit, then speeding will no longer be an issue. He also also advised the government to find a way by which the speed of vehicles can be limited.

The judge has asked the government to explain why high-speed cars are imported despite knowing that they can endanger the life of innocent citizens. He has also asked the government if it’s possible for it to stop the import of such vehicles.

The Indian government has to reply to all of the judge’s questions in the next hearing of this case, which will happen on the 22nd of August. If the Indian government decides to set a limit the speeds of all vehicles sold in India to that allowed by the speed limit, it’ll be interesting to see which number the government will settle on for the speed limiter.

Is this even practical?

Speed limits vary in various parts of the country, and even in a single city, the speed limit for a school zone is much different than that for a highway. Assume that the government fits all vehicles with a speed limiter, set at 80 Kph. Now, doing 80 Kph in a 20 Kph school zone may still be speeding.

So, just having a speed limiter may not really prevent overspeeding. At best, it could reduce the overall number of accidents that happen due to speeding past. Strict enforcement of laws, hefty punishments for law-breakers and self-regulation by motorists will also be essential.

In the judge hinting at the future?

Autonomous cars that communicate with each other will become a reality in the coming decades. These cars are meant to eliminate human drivers, and the dangers associated with having a human being at the steering wheel. These cars will be programmed to function by following rules 100 %. Once this happens, speeding could become non-existent. Until then, we’ll have to wait and see what the Indian government has to say about fitting speed limiters in all vehicles sold in India.

Via IndianExpress

Images courtesy: IndianExpress, Tribune