Overspeeding ticket for 60 kmph speed on a highway!

He said the speed limit on that particular stretch is actually 40 kmph and even though I am not overspeeding in actual terms, it is technically overspeeding and I am liable to pay a fine of 1000 bucks for the offence!

BHPian Emvi recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Today my car was stopped by the highway patrol cops on the Madikeri-Mysore highway about 2-3 Kms from Madikeri while I was returning from Mysore. I absolutely had no idea, why I was stopped. After stopping, on enquiry, I was asked to present the vehicle documents to the Inspector seated inside the highway patrol vehicle. And when I met the inspector, he did not bother to check the documents, he just said that I was overspeeding.

I was shocked further and asked him to show me the proof that I was overspeeding. He promptly showed me the monitor connected to the speed gun, which had recorded my speed and it was 60 kmph! I just did not know how to react. I confronted the cop and questioned him, how on earth could a speed of 60 kmph on a highway be considered as overspeeding!? He said the speed limit on that particular stretch is actually 40 kmph and even though I am not overspeeding in actual terms, it is technically overspeeding and I am liable to pay a fine of 1000 bucks for the offence! C'mon. He said there are speed limit boards beside the highway, which I am not sure. I have never seen/noticed such boards all these years.

One thing that did not irritate me further was the politeness of the cops. The cops never used the infamous "police language" during the entire duration of the event. Only thing the inspector agreed upon was to cut down the fine. How? It's interesting. He said he will fine me just 500 bucks instead of 1000 for not wearing the seatbelt. I was definitely wearing the seatbelt and when I told him so, he coolly said he knew it, but that's the only way he can reduce the fine! I just have no words for this kind of atrocity. Since I did not want to pay for the offence that I did not commit, I objected to his offer and told him that I am willing to pay the fine of 1000 bucks with a condition that I should be given the receipt and the proof of overspeeding. He agreed only after my persuasion.

I have a few questions:

• Is the speed limit of 40kmph on highways a valid one?
• Are deviations to the prescribed speed limits allowed in the rulebook? If yes, by how much?
• How can I escalate this matter to the higher authorities, if you think I have a case here?

Here's what BHPian Hayek had to say on the matter:

Frankly, speed limits on loads of Indian roads are a joke. I am generally law-abiding and do not believe in driving at very high speeds - but following some of the speed limits such as 30 kph on the JJ flyover, 50 kph in parts of the Sea Link and the random variations between 40, 50, 70 and 80 kph on other flyovers in Bombay is impossible and arguably more dangerous than “speeding” along with the traffic. I do try and slow down in areas where known speed cameras are located (as do most other regular road users - so slowing down is not necessarily dangerous), but have taken a call that paying some speed fines is part of the cost of driving on Indian roads.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.