Speed Governors Should Be Installed In All Vehicles, Suggests Madras HC

The Madras High Court (HC) has suggested that speed governors be fitted mandatorily to all vehicles, including 2-wheelers, in order to reduce road accidents.

While hearing an accident case involving a rashly driven bus, the 2-judge bench of Madras HC (comprising Justices N Kirubakaran and Abdul Quddhose) proposed several ways in which road accidents can be reduced.

The HC has asked the government to reconsider its decision (taken in 2018) to increase the national speed limit and suggested that the speed limit be lowered.

It also recommended the government to make it mandatory to instal speed governors in all vehicles at the manufacturing stage. In addition, imported or completely built-up (CBU) vehicles with high-powered engines should be calibrated to not exceed the national speed limit, the court said.

Furthermore, to put a stop to overspeeding the Madras HC said the government should procure modern gadgets that would enable authorities to find any vehicle travelling above the speed limit and, thereby, punish the driver.

Interestingly, the 2-jugde bench also proposed that driving licence seekers should be taken to hospitals where accident victims undergo treatment in order to make them understand the consequences of speeding and violating road rules.

What’s more, the Madras HC also asked the government to lay more speed breakers, spread the message of road discipline by roping in celebrities and to constitute special courts in order to deal cases related to traffic offences and accident claims.

Before issuing the instructions including mandatory installation of speed governors, the 2-judge bench impleaded the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and Tamil Nadu Director-General of Police.

The next hearing of the case will take place on 2nd August when the government will have to report to the compliance made in accordance with the directions of the court.