Speed management is the fastest and most effective way to save lives on Indian roads, road safety experts said at a national seminar held at IIT Delhi during National Road Safety Month 2026. The seminar was organised by the Road Safety Network (RSN) in collaboration with IIT Delhi and IIT Kharagpur.
The event brought together road safety researchers, policymakers, enforcement officials, urban planners and civil society organisations to deliberate on the urgent need for rational, evidence-based speed limits on National Highways and urban roads.
India records over 1.7 lakh road fatalities every year, with speeding consistently cited as the leading cause, contributing to more than 70% of these deaths. Experts noted that while road infrastructure has expanded rapidly, speed limits have not been recalibrated to reflect mixed traffic conditions, human injury tolerance and the safety needs of vulnerable road users.
“While National Highways form just 2% of India’s road network, they account for over 36% of road fatalities. Speeding is the biggest risk factor, especially for vulnerable road users. Lowering maximum speed limits, along with stronger enforcement, greater awareness and improved emergency response, is critical to saving lives,” said Bhargab Maitra, Professor, Civil Engineering Department, IIT Kharagpur, and Member, Road Safety Network.
The first session focused on National Highways, which account for a disproportionately high share of fatalities despite carrying a smaller portion of total traffic. Speakers highlighted that high operating speeds, combined with heterogeneous traffic, frequent access points, roadside activity and inadequate protection for pedestrians and two-wheelers, significantly increase crash severity.
David Cliff, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Road Safety Partnership, Geneva, said that even modest reductions in speed can substantially lower fatalities and serious injuries. He recommended maximum speeds of 30 km/h in cities, under 80 km/h on rural roads and 100 km/h on expressways, aligned with global best practices and supported by strict enforcement.
Experts also cautioned against treating highways purely as high-speed corridors, especially when they pass through or near settlements. Instead, speed limits should reflect road function, surrounding land use and traffic composition, rather than vehicle capability alone.
The second session focused on urban speed limits, where speeding continues to claim thousands of lives annually. Contrary to popular belief, speakers noted that most fatal urban crashes occur on wide arterial roads, flyovers and signal-free corridors, particularly during low-traffic hours.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) 2023 report, more than 17,000 people were killed and over 73,000 injured in cities with populations exceeding 50 lakh. Currently, maximum speed limits in India are set at 120 km/h on expressways, 100 km/h on highways and up to 70 km/h on urban roads, raising serious safety concerns in densely populated areas.
“In India, setting rational speed limits is crucial as road crashes rise. There is often a gap between road design, speed limit implementation and public compliance. Global evidence clearly shows that 50 km/h is the absolute maximum safe speed in urban areas,” said Prof. Geetam Tiwari of IIT Delhi’s TRIP Centre.
Participants called for a maximum speed limit of 50 km/h on urban roads, with lower limits in residential areas, school zones and pedestrian-heavy streets. They emphasised that lower speeds not only save lives but also improve liveability, public health and environmental outcomes, without significantly affecting commute times due to existing congestion.
The discussions underscored that enforcement alone cannot ensure safe speeds. Road design interventions such as traffic calming, lane narrowing and self-explaining streets were identified as critical for sustained compliance.
“Police cannot be present everywhere, and issuing fines without redesigning streets has limited impact. Evidence-based speed limits combined with road design interventions are the most reliable way to reduce fatalities,” said Dr Kayitha Ravinder, Chief Scientist and Head (ILT) Division, CSIR-CRRI.
Highlighting data gaps, Prof. P. K. Sikdar, Advisor, International Road Federation (India Chapter), noted that under-reporting of speeding-related crashes and high motorcycle fatalities mask the true scale of the problem. “With nearly 60% of serious crashes occurring at intersections, speed management and context-sensitive road design are especially critical on highway stretches with significant local access,” he said.
Participants stressed that revising speed limits is a low-cost, high-impact regulatory measure that can be implemented immediately, unlike infrastructure-heavy interventions that require long timelines.
The seminar outcomes will be compiled into a formal policy submission by the Road Safety Network to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, urging the adoption of evidence-based speed limits as a central pillar of India’s road safety strategy.
The event featured senior officials and experts including Pankaj Aggarwal, Chief Engineer (Standards, Research & Road Safety Engineering), MoRTH; Monika Bhardwaj (IPS), Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic, Zone-I); Dr B. Mohammed Asheel, National Professional Officer, WHO India; Aashima Bhandari, World Resources Institute India; and Ashim Sanyal, Chief Operating Officer, Consumer VOICE. Together, they deliberated on actionable strategies to improve road safety through rational speed limits, better road design and effective enforcement.
