Nitin Gadkari's 140 kmph Speed Limit Proposal Faces Legal and Safety Hurdles

Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari recently announced that he asked authorities not to issue speed challans for cars travelling up to 20% above the prescribed 120 kmph limit on expressways, effectively allowing speeds of up to 140 kmph. However, experts have stated that this proposal cannot be implemented under the existing legal framework and could pose road safety concerns.

Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event on Tuesday, Gadkari stated that he directed officers to withhold challans for drivers traveling within 20% above the 120 kmph limit, while maintaining enforcement for speeds exceeding that threshold.

Legal and Regulatory Framework

Under current Motor Vehicles Rules:

• The maximum permissible speed for cars on access-controlled expressways is 120 kmph.
• Limits are set at 100 kmph for four-lane roads and 70 kmph for other roads, with lower limits for other vehicle categories.
• Rules currently provide a limited relaxation for vehicles travelling up to 5% above the notified speed limit.
• State governments and local authorities possess the power to prescribe lower speed limits based on local conditions and safety requirements.

Road Safety Concerns

Experts have raised several safety and logistical concerns regarding the proposed relaxation:

• Accident Statistics: Speeding remains a leading cause of road crashes globally and in India, where speeding accounted for more than 58% of road crash deaths (just over one lakh fatalities) in 2024.
• Infrastructure Limitations: Road infrastructure is not necessarily designed to safely accommodate vehicles traveling at 140 kmph.
• Collision Severity: Allowing higher speeds could increase both the likelihood of crashes and the severity of injuries during collisions.

Experts emphasize that any nationwide speed limit relaxation requires a formal legal framework and a thorough scientific assessment of road safety, rather than general enforcement exemptions. Readers can verify official guidelines through announcements by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.