Road Safety Concerns Grow As Traffic Violations Cross 66,000 Mark In Pune In One Year; Speeding And Helmetless Riding Top The List
Pune, 11th April 2025: Despite multiple measures implemented to rein in speeding vehicles, the number of reckless drivers in the city continues to rise, according to data from the Regional Transport Office (RTO). Over the past year, the RTO has taken action against 66,653 vehicles for various traffic violations, with the majority—19,645 cases—involving two-wheeler riders not wearing helmets. Not far behind are 13,817 motorists who were penalized for breaching speed limits.
Controlling vehicle speed has been a central strategy to prevent accidents in the city. To achieve this, authorities have introduced several initiatives such as deploying traffic police at key junctions, installing traffic signals and AI-powered surveillance cameras, setting up rescue teams, using speed guns, rumble strips, and speed breakers.
The RTO’s crackdown over the last year covered a wide range of offenses, including failure to wear helmets or seat belts, lack of valid vehicle documents, improper lane changes, illegal parking, use of mobile phones while driving, triple-seat riding, and use of flashy or unauthorized license plates. Among these, helmet violations topped the list, with a significant concentration of such cases recorded in areas like Sinhagad Road, Warje, Yerawada, Vishrantwadi, Wagholi, and Hadapsar.
The second most common offense—speeding—accounted for over 13,000 violations, indicating a disturbing trend of increasing reckless driving despite existing controls.
As per the current regulations, the speed limit for two-wheelers is set at 60 km/h on highways passing through the city and municipal zones, and 40 km/h on the ghats. For four-wheelers and three-wheelers, the limits are 50 km/h on regular roads and 40 km/h on curves or ghat sections. However, rising instances of speed violations suggest these limits are frequently ignored by many motorists.
