🚦 New Rules for Radar Speed Measurement Equipment
- Centre notifies rules for ‘Radar equipment for the measurement of the speed of vehicles’ under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011
Here’s a comprehensive but easy-to-digest summary of the new rules for radar speed measurement devices, notified by the Department of Consumer Affairs:
📅 Effective From: 1st July 2025
📢 Announced by PIB Delhi on 18 April 2025
🎯 Purpose
To:
- Strengthen road safety
- Ensure fair and scientific traffic enforcement
- Build trust in speed monitoring systems
📌 Key Provisions
- 🔍 Mandatory Verification & Stamping
- All radar-based speed measuring devices must be verified and stamped by Legal Metrology authorities.
- Ensures devices are accurate, calibrated, and tamper-proof.
- 📏 Based on International Standard
- Rules follow OIML R 91, a global standard for radar speed measurement devices.
- Ensures consistency with global best practices.
- 📋 Extensive Consultation
- Drafted with inputs from:
- State Legal Metrology Departments
- Regional Reference Standard Labs (RRSLs)
- Manufacturers
- Consumer groups
- ⚙️ Technical Specifications
- Devices must function reliably under varying weather and environmental conditions
- Must include tamper-resistance and proper calibration protocols
- Uses Doppler radar and other technologies for high-precision speed tracking
👥 How It Benefits Stakeholders
🧍♂️ For Citizens:
- No more false penalties due to faulty radar guns
- Greater confidence in enforcement fairness
- Improved road safety through reliable speed control
🏭 For Industry (Manufacturers):
- Clear technical and compliance framework
- Aligned with international norms
- Boosts export potential of Indian-made radar devices
👮♂️ For Law Enforcement:
- Use of certified devices boosts credibility and effectiveness
- Enables evidence-based enforcement
- Reduces disputes and public distrust
🏛️ National Impact:
- Supports data-driven governance
- Reduces road fatalities and traffic incidents
- Protects infrastructure from damage due to over speeding
📎 Official Rules Document
🔗 Click here to view the full PDF
Annexure -1
Here's a quick explainer on OIML R 91 and a look at how the new rules could impact specific industries and regions in India:
📘 Quick Explainer: OIML R 91
What is OIML?
The International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) sets global standards for measuring instruments used in trade, health, safety, and law enforcement.
OIML R 91 is the specific international recommendation for:
Radar Equipment Used to Measure the Speed of Vehicles
🛠️ Key Features of OIML R 91:
- ✅ Accuracy classification for speed measurements
- 📏 Clear calibration and testing protocols
- 🌧️ Must perform reliably in all-weather/environmental conditions
- 🔒 Protection against tampering or manipulation
- ⚡ Instantaneous and average speed measurement capabilities
- 🎯 Targets vehicles in free-flowing or dense traffic
Using OIML R 91 ensures that speed detection is scientific, standardized, and internationally acceptable, which matters in law enforcement and trade disputes.
📊 Impact of New Radar Rules (Based on OIML R 91)
🏭 Industries Affected:
- Radar Equipment Manufacturers:
- Must align with strict technical and legal standards
- Need certification from Legal Metrology departments
- Opportunity to export to other OIML-compliant markets
- Calibration Labs & Testing Facilities:
- Rise in demand for device verification, testing, and maintenance
- Boost for Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs)
- Automotive & Transport Tech Firms:
- Integration of compliant radar modules into smart city traffic systems
- New business models for data-based traffic enforcement tools
📍 Regional Impacts:
- Metro Cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, etc.):
- Higher volume of radar installations → Stricter compliance needed
- Supports smart traffic enforcement and automated challan systems
- Tourism & Highway Corridors (e.g. Rajasthan, Goa, NH44):
- Radar systems will help curb overspeeding by out-of-state drivers
- Safer roads → boost to tourism and logistics
- Industrial Zones (e.g. Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra):
- Local manufacturers get a competitive edge with OIML-compliant products
- Can enter European, African, and ASEAN radar markets
🌐 Summary: Why It Matters
- Citizens get fairer enforcement.
- Manufacturers get global competitiveness.
- Law enforcement gets trusted tools.
- The country gets a modern, standards-based traffic system.
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