The Delhi Traffic Police has installed speed cameras across the city roads at 100 locations. And driving above the speed limit can get you a fine of Rs. 1000 and/or suspension of your driving licence for 3 months.
There are more than 1 crore vehicles on Delhi roads everyday, and more than a thousand drivers break traffic rules on a daily basis. Among all other violations, over-speeding is the most commonly broken traffic rule. Given the huge population, the traffic police is unable to catch each violator due to lack of manpower and resources.
Technology has once again come to their rescue, and speed cameras have been installed across the city. The laser-based system is designed to focus automatically on the car and record its speed.
- These cameras are able to capture the speed of the vehicle from a distance of 300 metres.
- They can also spot the vehicles during the night.
- They also record date, time, GPS location and site of the violation.
- These are also useful in providing footage in the event of an accident or crime.
The image of the vehicle is then streamed to the control room of the Delhi Traffic Police. The RTO database is used to get the registered contact information of the vehicle owner. The challan is then either sent through post, or delivered through an SMS in the form of e-challan to the violator. You can pay the challan online or visit the nearest police station within 60 days of the receipt.
Drivers, Pay Attention.
The speed cameras mean that it is now compulsory for all drivers to stick to the speed limit. But it is very difficult to drive within the limit.
Why?
The majority of roads in Delhi have a speed limit of 50 kmph which may be too less to drive at on clear and straight roads. People who follow speed limits are honked at by other vehicles for overtaking or for increasing the speed. This makes it a little difficult for the law abiding citizens to stay within the limit.
Also, drivers are still adapting to this speed limit culture on roads. They drive fast on clear roads and suddenly apply breaks when they see a speed camera ahead. This can lead to accidents on clear roads where all the traffic comes at a high speed.
Speed Cameras on Google Maps
Google Maps has rolled out an interesting feature through which commuters can know where speed cameras are installed. Users can report the presence of a camera on a particular route. Once the information is reported, the app will start showing the speed cam icon on that particular route and the number of people who have reported it.
This can be really helpful for the drivers because they can know their speed limit before entering a road. At present, the feature is only available on Android but iOS version is expected soon.
Happy Driving!
