
For ordinary vehicles on highways, penalties for speeding are as follows: Speeding within 10% of the prescribed speed limit is not penalized for the time being; Speeding between 10% and 20% of the prescribed speed limit incurs a fine of 200 yuan and 3 demerit points; speeding between 20% and 50% of the prescribed speed limit incurs a fine of 200 yuan and 6 demerit points; speeding more than 50% over the prescribed speed limit incurs a fine of 2000 yuan and 12 demerit points. Relevant information about speed limits is as follows: Introduction to speed limits: Speed limits generally refer to the regulation of vehicle speeds within a certain numerical range over a specified length of road. Purpose of speed limits: The main purpose is to preemptively remind drivers to reasonably control their speed in subsequent sections of the road ahead, prevent the dangers of speeding, and ensure driving safety. Speed limits are an indispensable and most important part of road transport safety.

That day I happened to see traffic police setting up a checkpoint at the highway tunnel entrance to catch speeders, and I chatted with them for a bit. Speeding 10%-20% in tunnels isn't considered particularly severe, but the penalties are no joke. Basically, it's 3 demerit points and a 200 yuan fine nationwide, with stricter electronic enforcement in provinces like Zhejiang and Guangdong where fines may be higher. Tunnels are far more dangerous than regular road sections - poor lighting and narrow space mean there's nowhere to hide if an accident occurs. Last month I saw news about a tunnel rear-end collision that burned five cars, which scared me so much that I now grip the throttle tightly when entering tunnels. If you accidentally speed, quickly check your rearview mirror for flashes - sometimes officers wait at tunnel exits with speed guns.

I once got caught speeding by 12% in a tunnel during a long-distance drive—a painful lesson learned! Now whenever the navigation announces 'tunnel ahead,' I immediately ease off the accelerator. Speeding between 10% and 20% falls under the third category of 'speeding by non-medium/large passenger vehicles or hazardous material transport vehicles,' uniformly penalized with 3 demerit points and a 200 RMB fine. However, speed limits vary by tunnel—some cap at 80 km/h while others at 60 km/h—meaning identical speeding percentages can translate to vastly different actual speeds. Special reminder for new energy vehicle drivers: EVs accelerate swiftly, making it easy to unintentionally exceed limits at tunnel entrances. Also, many tunnels employ section control (average speed monitoring), so don’t assume speeding is safe past the first camera. Glancing at your dashboard upon exiting is a prudent move.

Practical experience: Speeding in tunnels is particularly easy to get caught. The radar detector in my car goes crazy every time I enter a tunnel. According to the new traffic regulations, the penalty standard for speeding between 10%-20% is now unified nationwide—3 points and a 200 yuan fine are unavoidable. However, two points should be noted: first, some mountain tunnels have a speed limit of 60 km/h, so driving at 66 km/h already counts as exceeding the limit by 10%; second, the speedometers of newly modified cars often show about 5 km/h lower than the actual speed, meaning a displayed 75 km/h might actually exceed 80 km/h. Recently, it's also been heard that Shenzhen is piloting an intelligent tunnel capture system that immediately displays the license plate on a large screen at the exit when speeding is detected, making it so embarrassing you could dig out a three-bedroom apartment.

Last time I had dinner with my cousin who drives a heavy truck, he shared some experience: there are two types of speed traps in tunnels, fixed and mobile. Fixed cameras are usually located 500 meters from the entrance. Some experienced drivers speed up after passing this point, unaware that many tunnels now have hidden speed detectors installed in the middle. Exceeding the speed limit by 10% to less than 20% results in a fine of 200 yuan and 3 demerit points according to Article 42 of the Road Traffic Law, but in areas with many tunnels like Chongqing and Guizhou, additional penalties may apply. A special reminder: slow down even more when entering tunnels on rainy days. Once I drove at 70 km/h through a waterlogged section and almost lost control, as the tire grip was half as weak as usual. Now I always drive strictly within the speed limit when passing through tunnels.


