[Indian2003]

Are the highways fenced in India? In Norway and Sweden, all new motorways are fenced and the risk of wild animals in your path are extremely rare. All dogs are tame and you never see them outside alone. When you see them they are leashed. Dogs found loitering are picked up and they search for the owner.


How will it be driving on motorways with cows and dogs crossing them? What about people? They would get run over and hit by cars.

Tunnels are built for wild animals to cross safely on top.


Motorcycles under 250 cc and tractors are not allowed on motorways and yet the maximum speed in 120 in Sweden and 110 in Norway. A 140 km speed limit will save you time if you are the only driver on the road with no cows or dogs in your way.

It is the maximum speed that is displayed on signs and the safe speed for the road conditions sits in your head. If you run off the road driving 80 in a 100 zone, you have still been driving too fast to lose control.

[SS-Traveller]

The government has just one job to do, to make India a better place for everyone - reduce the huge population. Setting a speed limit of 140 kmph on expressways will ensure we achieve that a little bit quicker than at present. 140 kmph and millions of DLs to incompetent people who think they can drive, along with zero crash mitigation infrastructure, is one of the ways to cull the population. As for me, I'm happy to hand out a Darwin award to anyone who approves of the new speed limit.

[TheHelix0202]

How about a restructuring of the license system in the first place? How about having mandatory license schools with multiple levels to be cleared before someone obtains their DL? Why can’t someone who truly cares about our roads implement such a thing in our own country? When you don’t care enough to educate the common man at least in the aspect of driving, throw all talk of behaviour, self discipline and control on the road out of the window.

Proper driver education is the only thing that’ll save our countrymen. When we haven’t got the fundamentals right how can we make head or tail of international driving norms on Indian expressways?

I’ve always said this - people drive like how they walk. It’s such a shame, honestly. The amount of idiots flouting traffic rules and common sense even within city limits is astounding, forget highways.

Extra note: any rich enough squid can hop onto a superbike in our country. Just imagine the implications of this…time and time again, people have proven what can go wrong when you give them something as measly as a 390 Duke. And no, don’t shift the blame of lack of education on the person riding it like a moron onto the fact that it’s a 40+ BHP machine and that it isn’t “meant” for Indian roads.

[drsnt]

How about starting from the basics.

1. Ensuring strict fines for nonworking backlights.
2. Ensuring proper crash bar in high-rise vehicles.
3. No toll crossing for such vehicles for on expressways

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Indian2003

Are the highways fenced in India? In Norway and Sweden, all new motorways are fenced and the risk of wild animals in your path are extremely rare. All dogs are tame and you never see them outside alone. When you see them they are leashed. Dogs found loitering are picked up and they search for the owner.

Newer expressways in India are elevated to prevent animals from entering accidentally. Eastern peripheral expressway is elevated and the upcoming Delhi Mumbai expressway will also be elevated.

https://youtu.be/IqTZlVIspeE

There are long stretches of 8-16 lanes with minimal traffic. Some of the issues that I have encountered on these roads are - not everyone maintains lane discipline, follow lane speed limits, we see a lot of slow moving traffic in rightmost lane which is meant for overtaking. Cameras have been very useful in curtailing overspeeding, it's time now to put them to use to fine such nuances.

[COMMUTER]

Permitting a higher speed limit without enforcing the minimum speed and lane discipline of slow moving traffic is useless and outright dangerous.

That guy needs to look up the minimum speed limit being imposed along with higher maximum speed limits all around the developed world, without which it will be a disaster.

[Jerryaj]

I'm dead against this proposal, few pointers from my side;

1. As per me it doesn't make a real world difference to the overall travel time (at least for me). The average travel time would still remain less on our roads. As someone already pointed out with a speed limit of 110 KMPH they did an average speed of 101KMPH in Australia. That ling of infrastructure is what we need and not increasing the speed limit.

2. Simply we don't have the infrastructure (read the human side). There is no proper training people don't understand the difference between driving and operating a vehicle. There is no respect for others on road, some people think that they drive as per their wish and others need to yield.

3. Egoistic, idiotic maniac drivers on our road. We have drivers who; drive at 150 plus even on roads having 100 KMPH or lesser speed limit, cutting lanes, over taking from left side, overtaking on shoulder, driving on an intermediate lane, bullying others on road, don't understand right of way, the list can go on.

4. Blaming slow moving vehicle is not always correct (period), may be lack of proper knowledge can be blamed. Given the Indian context and the population we have, the distance between human habitation is going to be less as compared to most of the developed countries. Given the same, there are going to people crossing roads, two wheelers riding on highways, trucks moving to right most lane to avoid all these things.

5. If my knowledge of the rules is right (I may be wrong though), I don't guess the lanes on Indian highways are classified for different speeds. I've only seen markings as slow moving vehicles on left lanes and fast moving vehicles on right lanes. Now here the situation becomes highly relative and even if the speed limit is raised to 140 KPH no certainty on actually what is fast and what is slow.

6. Last just because my car goes fast, I shouldn't expect a higher speed limit, people yielding to me and a clear path for me. Unless I'm going to change from my side and can say I follow all the rules I am no one to blame others.

[RoadTrippin]

Nitin Gadkari's must be a huge Calvin & Hobbes fan. His new rules every other day reminds me of this famous strip.

Not a day seems to go by, without another hare brained new rule being promulgated.

[pugram]

The proposed speed limits are okay in my opinion considering the new generation car's and their capabilities. Higher speed limits on access controlled highways are okay. Sufficient markings or warnings are placed hopefully to drive home caution. The general purpose seems to be reducing the travel times.

It boils down to the driver. Whether he sticks to the limits, follows lane discipline, provides indication of his intent to overtake or change lanes, etc. So good driver training and testing should be implemented.

Along with this strict policing with equally strict fines should be proposed.

Even in current highways, though the speed limits are 100 kmph, they are not access controlled and there are varying speed limits in various sections of the road, not forgetting the barricades at the entry and exit of most by-pass around towns. Average speed seem to hover around 50kmph with the breaks we take in between.

I have not seen many cars signalling their intent on lane change or for overtaking, some with team-bhp stickers.

So again finally it boils down to how the drivers utilise the speed limits. Some are in a tearing hurry and some are too sedate and that's how individuals are. Strict policing, training and awareness can only take this forward. Westerners follow because of these and not because they are saints.

[skyocean]

Not sure why the mixed opinions here, but it’s a welcome move from any angle.

1) The current speed limit of 80/100 is too less, our 4 lanes highway are more than capable than this and that's how people are using it currently.
2) The ground reality: How many of us drive at 80kmph or lesser on these roads especially when we are on a long drive? It’s a great move because now we need not worry of the Interceptor cars/ Highway speed cameras handing you a challan, and it will be Legal.
3) The argument of drivers not being capable to drive at such high speeds is absurd. It’s a higher speed limit not a minimum speed limit.
4) In every review we see comments like "Wish the vehicle had a turbo, NA engine lacks dynamism for highway", what's the point having such capable cars and making them legal handicaps.

All this said, I understand there are a few things that need to be sorted out. From that annoying 120kmph warning to emergency road side/medical assistance facilities. Overall a welcome move, at least we can enjoy better speeds legally.

[meto]

I absolutely disagree with Mr. Gadkari’s statement. However, looking closely, there is a vast difference between “Gadkari wants” vs “India needs”. Everyone is free to put his/her viewpoint and I too enjoy driving my vehicle at higher limits, but practicality seems to be a different proposition.

What percentage of private vehicles on our road are safely capable to go beyond 120 kmph? Imagine a light weighted person driving Maruti Alto at 100kmph while a Fortuner/Safari zooms past the car at 140kmph. The Alto will wobble like a top and can cause serious consequences. Replace the Alto with a two wheeler and the result can be catastrophic. Every expressways have at least one hump which if one pass over at 100kmph, the vehicle is going to be airborne for a while.

Are most of the expressways enabled to be driven at 120kmph at night? Due to poor lighting, I seriously doubt even an implementation of 120 kmph would be possible in near future. Different speed limits between day and night can be an option, but it is not practical. There will always be vehicles travelling without any light or indicators at night or people and stray animals crossing the road without been conscious of their surroundings. It might be possible to implement the limit on few of the expressways, but certainly not on most.

Most of us knows the speed limit and tend to adhere to them. However, our subconscious mind will always want to push our car as hard as possible if we know we are well within the speed limit. In developed countries this is not the issue since almost every vehicle is capable to maintain maximum speed limit. However, I doubt most of our vehicles can safely do a 120kmph. One can surely blame the automotive taxation laws on engine size for that matter.

Infrastructure, vehicle’s ability and adherence to guidelines should all come together to make this possible. Just infrastructure alone or capability of few vehicles safely doing 140kmph will not solve this problem.

[DicKy]

While I agree with the general sentiment here that we should vastly improve our road discipline and driving lessons, I don't see the reason to oppose increasing the limits to 140km/h. It is for access controlled expressways, not the usual dual carriageway highways or undivided highways. For the antics that people do on the roads here, the speed limit should be 40-50km/h across the board. Shall we?

Though I wholeheartedly agree with the fact that we should be having lower speed limits implemented. I would happily cruise at 80-90km/h if I don't have to slow down for anything. But for the low average speed that most of our roads have, and the constant slowing down/braking I would want to make it up in the stretches which permits legally.

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

I’ve always said this - people drive like how they walk. It’s such a shame, honestly. The amount of idiots flouting traffic rules and common sense even within city limits is astounding, forget highways.

True. Especially gearless scooters. They ride as if they are walking across the roads. Park wherever they want, stop wherever they want, cut across the road whenever they want...

[noopster]

A big NO from me. While it's laudable that the Hon'ble minister is thinking along the lines of creating autobahn-like infrastructure in India, it's hard to imagine a legal speed limit of 140k. Even in the US, Australia and NZ, which are the three Western countries I have driven in, the speed limit tops off at 120 k, typically 100k.

One thing that differs in India from these places is differential speed limits depending on class of vehicle. In the West, trucks easily keep up with cars in sticking to the speed limit. Not possible, nor feasible, given our lumbering dinosaurs here. So you will inevitably have vehicles doing 140 and 40 in the same lane, which is a recipe for disaster.

Instead, I would suggest an exercise in setting up reasonable and scientific speed limits on major highways and expressways in the country. On the Mumbai-Pune expressway, for example, there are places where the speed limit reduces from 80 to 30 without any warning. This is just ridiculous. Speed limits need to reduce in a phased manner in increments of 10, no more. With a few exceptions, there is no consistent speed limit signage on any of our highways either. You have examples on the forum of speeding violations with the legal limit posted as 95, for example. The person driving that stretch likely has no clue whether the local limit is 80 or 100.

As I've said before, Indians are masters at solving the wrong problem. It's a pity that someone as hardworking and effective as Gadkari also seems to be heading that way.

[ruzbehxyz]

Although we have some expressways which can handle high speeds, 140 kmphr is not safe for India. Even 100 kmphr on some 2+2 lane state highways can be dangerous. Before we go high speed, we need disciple in traffic. Some negatives:
1) All three lanes blocked by slow moving trucks.
2) Two wheelers riding in the centre on a 2 lane roads.
3) Cows and other domestic animals on the roads, especially in states like MP.

Besides this some small cars may not have high speed tyres and it could be a major danger especially in summer in areas like Central India, where air temperatures can go above 45 deg.C.

Ideas are welcome, but we are not ready as traffic disciple is very poor in India.

[Hayek]

Getting a sense of deja vu here, as if I have posted on this topic before.

I am fully supportive of having more sensible maximum speed limits, which reflect what properly maintained cars can do and the road quality. On the Bombay Poona expressway, the stretches from the Shedung exit to Khalapur and from Sinhagad Institute till the Dehu Road exit can easily and safely support a 140 kmph speed limit, as long as there are no vehicles moving at below 80 kmph at the same time. So in addition to maximum limits, we must also have minimum speed limits on Expressways, and vehicles that can’t maintain that limit must be deemed to be not Road worthy and fined just as we get fined today for travelling at 105 in a 100 kmph zone.



On our standard non access controlled national highways, particularly those where there is no service road for slow moving traffic such as tractors, higher limits may not make sense - but trying to ensure that there is a 60 kmph minimum speed for the right two lanes, and a 40 kmph minimum speed on the extreme left may permit a 100 - 120 kmph maximum speed limit.

Also agree with the suggestion that changes in speed limit must NOT be sudden - if you want to drop the limit from 140 kmph to 60 kmph, you must first have 120, 100 and 80 kmph sections, each of which should last for at least one km. And the super slow motion trucks which climb the Khandala Ghat at 15 kmph must be scrapped - they are not fit for even village roads, much less national highways. If a truck is not capable of traveling with full load at 60-80 kmph, and stopping safely from that speed in a reasonable distance, it is not fit to travel on a highway or expressway.

But this is a good start - all the above is detail that can be worked out. It’s high time people start realising that having ridiculously low speed limits has a cost - and probably leads to more accidents than sensible limits.