Vizag enforces 40 kmph speed limit

Visakhapatnam: Young Vizagites are emerging as the most frequent traffic violators, particularly for overspeeding, prompting the city police to enforce newly notified speed limits strictly to curb road accidents.On average, nearly 200 motorists are being booked every day for overspeeding across the city, with youngsters accounting for around 70 per cent of the violators. Many of them reportedly claimed ignorance about the revised speed limits. Under the new rules, a uniform speed limit of 40 kmph has been imposed on several key stretches. These include the NH-16 corridor from Kurmannapalem Junction to Kommadi Junction, and the Beach Road stretch from Fishing Harbour to Bheemili via Sagarnagar and Rushikonda. All municipal roads and BRTS corridors—from Adavivaram to Vepagunta and from Bhaji Junction to Kancharapalem Mettu—will also have a speed cap of 40 kmph. In the first two weeks of April 2026, the traffic police booked over 2,400 overspeeding cases. ADCP (Traffic) K Praveen Kumar said that new speed-limit signboards have been installed at prominent locations across the city and awareness drives have been conducted to educate motorists. "Overspeeding is one of the major causes of road crashes in the city. We are strictly enforcing violations and will intensify special drives on more stretches in the coming days," he said. Despite the stipulated 40 kmph limit on Beach Road, young motorists were found driving at speeds of up to 60 kmph, particularly near Park Hotel, Rushikonda and Yendada. A senior traffic police inspector noted that most violators on this stretch were two-wheeler riders, largely youngsters. For a first-time overspeeding offence, violators are fined Rs 1,035. Repeat offenders will face higher penalties, including a recommendation to the road transport authorities for suspension of driving licences for three months, police said. Overspeeding continues to be a major contributor to road accidents in the city. In 2025, Visakhapatnam recorded 1,086 road accidents, including 333 fatal cases, claiming 349 lives and leaving 1,038 injured. NH-16 alone accounted for 149 deaths and 388 injuries, police data revealed.-