In a move to enhance road safety, the Karnataka Traffic Police has announced that starting August 1, drivers caught exceeding speeds of 130 kmph will face FIR registration. This measure, confirmed by Additional Director General of Police (Traffic and Road Safety) Alok Kumar, addresses the serious issue of over-speeding, which accounts for about 90 percent of fatal accidents in the state.
Recent data highlights the urgency of this initiative. On July 25 alone, 155 drivers were caught speeding above 130 kmph on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway. “From August 1, FIRs will be registered against those driving vehicles above 130 kmph anywhere in Karnataka for rash and dangerous driving,” Kumar stated. This enforcement strategy falls under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) – 281, which classifies driving beyond 120 kmph as rash or dangerous.
The new speed regulations apply to all roads across Karnataka, not just highways. The Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway, for example, is equipped with speed laser guns and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, enabling police to monitor and record vehicle speeds even at night.
This decision follows a tragic accident on the NICE (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise) road earlier this month, where a vehicle traveling at 160 kmph resulted in three fatalities. The incident drew the attention of the Supreme Court monitoring committee on road safety, prompting the committee to urge the state government to implement stricter measures against over-speeding.
Currently, the speed limit on national highways in India is 100 kmph, with state and other highways having lower limits. On expressways, the maximum permissible speed is 120 kmph.