Fog triggers 15-vehicle pile-up on EPE; Noida police cut speed limits

POor profile on the Eastern peripheral device pike (EPE) led to a pile-up involving around 15 vehicles on sat forenoon as thick fog engulfed the stretch and vehicles ahead slowed down, officials said.No casualties were reported, and the congestion was cleared within two hours.A police officer, requesting anonymity, said that around 8.30 am, a vehicle heading towards Palwal from the Dasna side on the EPE slowed down due to dense fog near Samadhipur village.Also read: Delhi imposes strict GRAP-3 anti-pollution curbs as air quality turns 'severe'“While the vehicle was moving at a slow speed, another vehicle crashed into it from behind. When both accident-involved vehicles stopped to check damages, another vehicle crashed into them, and within a few minutes, as many as 15 vehicles, including heavy and light vehicles, were involved in a chain collision,” the officer added.A team from the Dadri police station reached the accident spot and restricted vehicle movement on the EPE after they were alerted through the emergency helpline number 112.“After two hours of effort, the accident-involved vehicles were removed from the main carriageway and traffic was restored. No injuries were reported and no complaint has been received yet,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Ajeet Kumar Singh said.Following the pile-up, Noida traffic police issued an advisory reducing speed limits on the EPE and the Noida–Greater Noida Expressway.Also read: Noida to build missing stretches of arterial road running parallel to expresswayFrom December 15, the speed limit for light vehicles on the Noida–Greater Noida Expressway and the Yamuna Expressway has been reduced from 100 kmph to 75 kmph, traffic police said. They added that the speed limit for heavy vehicles will remain unchanged at 60 kmph on the Yamuna Expressway and 50 kmph on the Noida Expressway.Traffic police said winter visibility drops sharply, making high-speed driving unsafe. Slippery roads also reduce traction and make manoeuvring vehicles difficult.“The revised limit on the expressway will also be reflected on Google Maps, an initiative that was taken during Road Safety Month in November,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Pravin Ranjan Singh said.According to Noida traffic police data, 59,242 challans were issued for speeding violations between January and October 2025. In 2024, 462 people died and 966 others were injured in 1,165 accidents. In 2025, between January and August, 311 people died and 585 were injured in 797 accidents in the district.