Speed and traffic volume data are collected on different sections of four lane and six lane roads in three metropolitan cities in India. Speed data are analyzed to fit the statistical distribution to individual vehicle speed data and all vehicles speed data. It is noted that speed data of individual vehicle generally follows a normal distribution but speed data of all vehicle combined at a section of urban road may or may not follow the normal distribution depending upon the composition of traffic stream. A new term Speed Spread Ratio (SSR) is introduced in this paper which is the ratio of difference in 85th and 50th percentile speed to the difference in 50th and 15th percentile speed. If SSR is unity then speed data are truly normally distributed. It is noted that on six lane urban roads, speed data follow a normal distribution only when SSR is in the range of 0.86 – 1.11. The range of SSR is validated on four lane roads also., {"references":["Al-Ghamdi, A. S. (1998). \"Spot speed analysis on urban roads in Riyadh.\" Transportation Research Record 1635, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 162–170.","Haight, F. A., and Mosher, W. W. (1962). \"A practical method for improving the accuracy of vehicular speed distribution measurements.\" HRR 341, Highway Research Board, Washington, D.C., 92–116.","Kadiyali, L.R., Lal, N.B., Sathyanarayana, M. and Swaminathana, A.K. (1981), \"Speed-Flow Characteristics on Indian Highways\", Journal of Indian Roads Congress, Vol. 52-2, New Delhi, pp. 233-262","Katti, B. K., and Raghavachari, S. (1986). \"Modelling of mixed traffic speed data as inputs for the traffic simulation models.\" Highway Research Bulletin 28, Indian Roads Congress, New Delhi, India, 35–48.","Leong, H. J. W. (1968). \"The distribution and trend of free speeds on two-lane two-way rural highways in New South Wales.\" Proceeding of 4th Australian Road Research Board Conference, Australian Road Research Board, Vermont South, Victoria, Australia, 791–808.","McLean, J. R. (1978). \"Observed speed distributions and rural road traffic operations.\" Proceeding of 9th Australian Road Research Board Conference, Australian Road Research Board, Vermont South, Victoria, Australia, 235–244.","Najjar, Y. M., Stokes, R. W., and Russell, E. R. (2000). \"Setting speed limits on Kansas two-lane highways.\" Transportation Research Record 1708, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 20–27.","Provisional report of census of India, 2011. www.censusindia.gov.in","Sahoo, P. K., Rao, S. K., and Kumar, V. M. (1996). \"A study of traffic flow characteristics on two stretches of national highways-5.\" Indian highways, 24(4), Indian Roads Congress, New Delhi, India, 11–18.\n[10]\tSwaminathan, C.G., and Kadiyali, L.R. (1983). \"Road user cost study in India.\" Journal of Indian Roads Congress, Paper No. 355, 44(1), 191-289.\n[11]\tVan Aerde, M. and Yagar, S. (1983). \"Volume effects on speeds of two lane highways in Ontario.\" Transportation Research Record, 17A (1), 301–313."]}