Centre Tightens Oversight Of Speed Guns To Curb Faulty Fines And Boost Road Safety

The Centre on Friday notified new rules requiring all radar-based speed measurement devices to be verified and stamped by legal metrology authorities, a move aimed at improving road safety and ensuring fairness in traffic enforcement.

Speed guns, also known as radar or laser guns, are used by traffic police to measure vehicle speed and enforce limits on roads and highways.

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The rules, issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs and notified under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011, will come into effect on 1 July. Mint had reported in November that the government was working on new standards for speed detection equipment.

By mandating legal verification, the government aims to ensure that radar guns used by law enforcement are accurate, calibrated and compliant with legal norms. Officials say this will reduce instances of erroneous fines and enhance public trust in speed enforcement systems.

“These verified radar systems are essential not only for monitoring traffic speed and preventing accidents but also for reducing damage to roads caused by overspeeding vehicles,” Nidhi Khare, secretary at the Department of Consumer Affairs, told Mint.

Radar-based equipment plays a key role in traffic management, helping authorities monitor speed limits, reduce accidents, and minimize road and vehicle damage. But concerns around the accuracy and reliability of such devices have grown in recent years, prompting calls for regulation.

The new rules are aligned with OIML R 91, an international standard issued by the International Organization of Legal Metrology. The standard lays out technical and operational benchmarks for radar and laser speed measurement devices, ensuring they meet global requirements for precision, environmental robustness and legal admissibility.

The drafting process included wide consultations with state legal metrology departments, regional testing laboratories, device manufacturers and consumer rights groups. Public comments were also factored into the final notification.

Under Section 33 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, using unverified or unstamped radar devices can attract fines of up to ₹25,000 for a first offence. Repeat violations can lead to imprisonment of up to six months, a fine, or both.

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The move is expected to benefit not just enforcers but also ordinary motorists.

“Motorists will be less likely to face erroneous fines, as the devices used for speed detection would undergo periodic checks for accuracy and legal conformity,” Khare said.“This will give them greater confidence that enforcement is based on scientifically validated and legally certified instruments.”

Officials said the regulations would also provide clarity to domestic radar equipment manufacturers, helping them align with global quality norms and potentially boosting export prospects. Technologies like Doppler radar, widely used in such devices, enable high-precision speed detection and are central to modern traffic enforcement.

From an enforcement standpoint, verified devices are expected to improve evidentiary reliability and operational precision, aiding data-driven governance and more consistent compliance with speed regulations.

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The technical requirements under the new framework will ensure that speed guns are tamper-proof, environmentally robust, and capable of maintaining accuracy across varying road and weather conditions, the ministry said.

The notification is part of a broader effort to modernize India's legal metrology system, aimed at reducing road accidents, improving compliance with traffic rules, and extending the life of the country's road infrastructure.

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