[SS-Traveller]

I get a speeding ticket this morning. That's all right, you might say.

For doing 61 kmph in a 60 kmph zone. Really!

This is on the Ring Road in Delhi. On a section which has been notified as a 60 kmph zone for a long time now. Notification on the Delhi Traffic Police's website: https://delhitrafficpolice.nic.in/ab...-informations/ - here's the screenshot of the website.

And a speed limit notification on another part of the same section...

Yet, the Traffic Police personnel rudely insist that the speed limit is 50 kmph. In fact, boldly mentions it in the challan-cum-receipt.

And they even refuse me the privilege of seeing the interceptor video evidence, being told that the same can only be produced in court, and is not for viewing by violators.

I wrote to the Joint Commissioner (Traffic), Delhi Police (jtcpt-dtp@nic.in), and to the Additional Commissioner (Traffic), Delhi Police (addlcpt-dtp@nic.in), based on the email IDs available on their website.

Going to court to reverse a Rs.400 fine is not an option. I don't have that kind of time.

[.anshuman]

Another 10 or 20kph and they would have booked you for dangerous driving with Challan only payable in the court on discretion of a Judicial Magistrate!

[GTO]

Well, technically, you were still over the limit...even if it's by only 1 km/h . When dealing with the masses, black & white is better (any speed over 60 will be fined) rather than a grey area (we'll allow up to 63 km/h...then we'll fine).

[lapis_lazuli]

What a harassment!

Shamindra da, did you post on Delhi Police FB page? I have heard they do take corrective action in cases where the cop is clearly wrong. Just curious, how was the general behaviour of the cop? What was his reaction to your explanation that limit is 60? Somebody told me they allow +/-5% to disregard calibration error inherent to the machine.

[vinit.merchant]

Most of these guys are more goons than cops.

I always try to steer clear of a gang of these guys waiting at any intersection. You can make it out from a distance their modus operandi. Call off any vehicle which is passing closer to them. Their motto is to find something which will allow them to fine you.

Once you stop, they ask one by one for everything. And if everything is in order, they invent something. I have paid fine twice for my number plates which have turned from white to Off-white over time.
Their Logic = these are yellow plates, not white. Thereon, no argument is valid.

[negativeH]

I've had better experience regarding this.
Cops generally ignore a 5-10% variation in the speed.

In your case, I guess he just wanted to get a token done with.
Plus, you were actually over the limit - 61.
The only roblem I see is why you were refused to see the video evidence.

I've always seen mine. Even joked if they can share this pic me with me, cause it was a great shot of the car on the Rajori flyover.

[PetrolRider]

Nice to see Delhi police are catching up with Bangalore police. I once received a challan for jumping signal somewhere while I was in my office and the car is in parking. Though the challan mentioned that as there is no camera evidence I can visit the commissioner's office on a weekday and spend the whole day there running from pillar to pillar and got the 100 rs fine waived. I preferred paying up the 100 rs fine.

Even traffic (terrific?) police were much smarter in my native place Odisha. In 2006, I have been fined by honorable mobile traffic check (handled by very top ranking official authorized to award spot jailed terms) for not having a bulb horn in our new Wagon R.

[avingodb]

And the other day one policeman told me to speed up and ignore the rash driver next to my car.
I have also seen instances whereby they let 3 on a bike, without helmet and rash riders, pass by as they try to catch hold of trucks and other transport vehicles.

[tsk1979]

Considering most speed guns have 5-10% error, this needs to go to court. This is plain revenue generation

[D4D]

Originally Posted by GTO

grey area (we'll allow up to 63 km/h...then we'll fine).

What about the cases of people having upsized wheels and/or over inflated tyres?
They maybe sticking to 60 kmph according to their speedometer, but actually maybe travelling at a slightly higher speed.

[ani_meher]

^^^ Doesn't matter. Otherwise people with conked speedometer will never have to obey any speed limit, saying their speed was 0kmph as per their car's speedometer.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Another 10 or 20kph and they would have booked you for dangerous driving with Challan only payable in the court on discretion of a Judicial Magistrate!

... True story!

I once had my 70 something speed get challaned as 87 kph because I refused to pay the enhanced challan and argued that it had not yet been hiked (i had documentation that it was 100 and not 400). He enhanced the recorded speed instead without telling me.

In court I got a lecture (and 1100 penalty vs 400) but no view of the proof.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Considering most speed guns have 5-10% error, this needs to go to court. This is plain revenue generation

What do they use? RADAR or LIDAR? Isn't LIDAR less error prone?

Originally Posted by phamilyman

In court I got a lecture (and 1100 penalty vs 400) but no view of the proof.

You meant 100, right?

[RishiSuri]

In most countries they do give a leeway of 5 above speed limit, but that does not hold true in India. the primary reason i am aware of traffic cops stopping and challaning on even 1 Km/hr speed limit is for the sole reason to meet the targets that have been given to them by their superiors.
Though its a nice move but does come with lot of drawbacks. We do end up paying fine with no fault of ours because the system makes you run from pillar to post with no end to it that everyone says why waste time pay the fine and move on.
Luckily our credit history and insurance are not yet tied up with the number of tickets we received. If its tied up we are all gonna be running pillar to post to get it sorted out when we are not at fault.

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by GTO

Well, technically, you were still over the limit...even if it's by only 1 km/h . When dealing with the masses, black & white is better (any speed over 60 will be fined) rather than a grey area (we'll allow up to 63 km/h...then we'll fine).

I was once fined in Bangalore in a similar manner - 62kmph in a 60kmph zone on 6 lane ORR, and I tell you this is plain wrong (from the real intent of the rule/law, which is to discourage unsafe driving speeds on a given road) since nobody can always ensure that they are exactly on or below the speed limit at all times. In my case, I was overtaking another vehicle, and was just plain unlucky that they radar-ed me at the very moment I had marginally exceeded the limit - hadn't looked at the speedo as you tend to focus more on the road/vehicles while overtaking.

They should keep 10% error (also due to equipment zero error), and to make a difference between 'wilful' violators, and momentary small margin of error. After all, humans are not cruise control machines, and factors like downward slope, overtaking etc does entail a very small variation - maybe +/- 2-3 kmph.
Also, those who are doing 70-80kmph can't be seriously treated the same way as those at 61 or 62kmph - the former are wilfuly and knowingly exceeding the speed limit and being reckless wrt safe speeds on that road, while the latter are mostly erring though not with intent to do so.