In a major step toward improving road safety, Noida has become the first city in Uttar Pradesh to launch the 'Google Speed Limit Project'. The initiative has been introduced under an agreement between the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate and Google. The project, launched virtually by Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Krishnan, will initially run as a pilot programme in Noida.
Under this new feature, Google Maps will display the speed limits of roads across the city. It will also alert drivers about accident-prone zones, helping them stay cautious in high-risk areas. The aim of the project is to make roads safer and reduce fatalities caused by overspeeding.
According to official data, nearly 53% of road accidents in Uttar Pradesh occur due to overspeeding. The police have set a target to reduce road accident deaths by up to 50% within a year through this initiative. Notably, around 22,000 people lose their lives in road accidents each year in the state, almost four times higher than deaths caused by crime.
Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh said, "As part of the ongoing Traffic Safety Month, we are working across the state under the directions of the DGP towards the goal of 'Safe Vision, Safe Road'. In this series, we have introduced a new innovation today. With the help of Google Maps, the roads across the Gautam Buddh Nagar district have been mapped, and the speed limit for each road has been marked. Starting today, this system has been rolled out."
"Now, whenever you travel in Noida using Google Maps, you will not only see your current speed but also the designated speed limit for that particular road. We hope this initiative will strengthen 'citizen policing' and promote 'self-regulatory discipline' on the roads," she added.
"An analysis of data from the past five years shows that 53% of accidents within the city occur due to overspeeding. We believe that this step will not only improve road discipline but also help reduce road accidents and related deaths by up to 50% in the coming years."
