Traffic fines to bite hard, when new Motor Vehicles Act is passed

The Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal to amend the Motor Vehicle Act in order to strictly deal with drunken driving and other traffic violations such as jumping red light, speeding, use of mobile phones and illegal parking. In the coming budget session in the parliament, a bill to amend the Motor Vehicle Act will be introduced.

“The amendments are aimed at introducing stronger deterrents and to deal with traffic offences seriously. Repeated violations will fetch very high fines and inculcate greater respect for the laws,” a senior government official was quoted as saying by a news agency.

As per the Cabinet note, many accidents have been caused due to the usage of mobile phones while driving. Hence, as per the new rules, not just talking over the phone, but also texting (sending SMS) and using hands-free devices will also be considered as an offence. The existing law already states that keeping a TV set or a video screen on the dashboard is an offence.

As per the new amendment, deaths in road accidents will get a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh, an increase from the present Rs. 25,000 at present. In case of serious injury, the victim will get Rs. 50,000 as compensation.

The following penalties for traffic violations have been proposed in the amendments.

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India uses just 1% of the world’s motor vehicles but yet on an average 1.20 lakh Indians die every year in road accidents. Roughly 12 lakh people suffer from injuries caused by road accidents.

The Motor Vehicle Act with new amendments is a welcome move as high penalties will force road users to abide by traffic rules and possibly lower the rate of road accidents.

(Photo Courtesy: ccrexpo.com)