Govt drafts tech-driven speed control blueprint for rd safety

Jaipur: In a move aimed at bolstering road safety, the Rajasthan govt has drafted a new initiative ‘Pilot Speed Management Programme' as part of the state's comprehensive road safety action plan that commenced in 2023 and is set to span over a decade.
According to the draft document, the programme identifies over-speeding, aggressive driving, and wrong-side driving as the primary traffic violations plaguing the state's roads.
To address these issues, the govt plans to implement Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) and enhance enforcement measures. The new guidelines emphasise ITS-supported enforcement as a top priority, particularly on rural highways where police presence is limited. The system will utilise various tools including laser speed guns, interceptor vehicles, speed cameras and warning display boards to monitor and regulate traffic.
"This initiative is crucial for maintaining discipline among motorists and reducing reckless driving on Rajasthan's highways. It will also act as a guideline for district collectors to set speed limits in regional roads as per the traffic pattern of that particular area," a senior official said.
The draft states, "Speed reductions are largest in the immediate vicinity of the surveillance unit/known physical enforcement area. As soon as the site is passed, speed will increase again. The effects of police enforcement last only for as long as drivers perceive a high risk of being detected."
The programme's implementation comes in response to state crash data analysis that highlighted the urgent need for stricter speed-related traffic law enforcement.
Praising the move, Madhu Sudan Sharma, senior programme officer for road safety at Consumer Unity & Trust Society, said, "Rajasthan will become the second state after West Bengal to implement such detailed speed limit guidelines." He added that the new framework would facilitate speed audits, appropriate speed limit setting and regular reviews of traffic regulations.
The draft acknowledges that enforcement effects are most noticeable near surveillance units and emphasises the need for consistent monitoring to maintain driver compliance. The program is expected to significantly reduce accident rates and improve overall road safety across the state.