New Traffic Rules: Hefty Traffic Violation Fines to be Imposed from September

Here is a quick overview of the new motor vehicle laws:

Key Features

• 3 year imprisonment for parents whose kids, below the age of 18 years, are found driving.
• A proposed increase in the compensation for families of individuals who meet with an accident. The maximum third-party legal liability is now Rs. 5 lakhs for serious injuries and Rs. 10 lakhs for death.
• Promotion of e-Governance.
• Steep increase in fines for violations of traffic rules such as rash driving, drunken driving, and driving without wearing seatbelts, or riding without helmets.

Statistics on Traffic Violation in India

In India, more than 150,000 people die on road accidents, where 95% of fatalities involved two-wheelers. Chennai tops the list of being the city with highest road accidents. The new traffic rule is an attempt to improve the road behaviour of the riders and to promote better safety on roads. Here’s are the provisions regarding new traffic penalties as per Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill.

New Penalty Structure for Violating Traffic Rules

The following fines will be applicable for traffic violation from September 2019 onwards. Let’s skim through the details:

• Driving without DL: Now don’t dare to take your vehicle out on the roads without a Driver’s licence. The fine for driving without DL will now be Rs. 5000. Earlier, it was Rs. 500 only.
• Speed Limit: Speed thrills but kills. If speeding excites you, then get ready to pay a hefty cost of Rs. 4000 depending upon the type of vehicle you are riding.
• Rash Driving: Rash driving leads to endless road accidents on a daily basis. The penalty for this has been raised to 1-year imprisonment/or fine of Rs. 1,000-5,000 (for first traffic rule violation) and up to 2 years imprisonment or fine of Rs. 10,000 for the second time offence.
• Drunk Driving: Partying with your friends has no harm unless you break the traffic rules. Usually driving when you are drunk can lead to serious road incidents. The penalty for this has been increased to Rs. 10,000.
• Overloading of Pillion Riders: Tripling is so common in India. But next time you are up to overload your bike, think twice about the fines imposed. It is for Rs. 20,000 now, which was earlier on Rs. 2000. A huge amount to bring a big hole into your pocket. Also, your DL will be deactivated for 3 months.
• Has to pay a lot for being Non-compliant: Defying orders from the authorities will lead to a fine of between Rs. 500 to Rs 2,000.
• Driving Uninsured Vehicle: Insuring your vehicle is the second most important thing after registering it. As it is mandatory in India, an uninsured vehicle could cost you a fine of either Rs. 1000 or imprisonment up o 3 months or Rs. 2000 and/or imprisonment up to 3 months. In case repeated offence, the fine will be increased.
• Juvenile Traffic Lawbreakers: In case of a juvenile who breaks the rule, the parent or guardian of that juvenile will be found guilty. In such a case, the guilty will be put behind the bars for 3 years with a fine of Rs. 25,000. The RC will be cancelled as well for a duration of 1 year. Moreover, the juvenile will be restrained from obtaining learner’s license until he/she attains the age 25 years.
• Driving without Helmet: The fine for this will be Rs. 1000 and suspension of license for 3 months.
• Using Phone while Driving: Fine of Rs 1,000-5000 is to be imposed on those are found talking to the phone while driving
• Avoiding an Ambulance: Drivers will be fined with Rs. 10,000 for not giving a way to an ambulance on roads.

Comparison of Traffic Fines

Below is the complete list of traffic fines to be imposed for various traffic rule violation from September 1st 2019:

New Traffic Rules: Recent Cases

Soon after the implementation of new traffic fines, several cases of drivers being penalized for violating traffic rules.

• Case 1: The new move recently has gained public attention when a Resident of Geeta Colony, East Delhi was fined with a whopping Rs. 23,000 for not wearing helmet and not carrying the vehicle documents.
• Case 2: Jumping red light proved extremely expensive for an auto driver when he was fined Rs. 32,000 after jumping a red light in the Sikandarpur area of Gurgaon.  
• Case 3: A Rajasthan truck-owner was recorded to pay Rs. 1.41 lakh challan in Delhi for overloading his vehicle on September 5, 2019.

These are just some of the many cases. These incidences show the intensity of new traffic rules and how it will affect those who break traffic rules. And that’s not all; driving without valid 2-wheeler insurance could lead to a fine of Rs. 2000.

As per a study by GIC, out of 19 crore registered vehicles, only 8.26 crore vehicles are insured. More often than not, people tend to ignore or forget renewing their 2 wheeler insurance policies. But given the steep penalty, driving without a valid 2 wheeler insurance policy may lead to serious penalties and even jail term.  

Our Tips:

Given the steep traffic violation penalties, vehicle owners must remain heedful of the new traffic rules and must carry valid documents when riding their 2 wheeler vehicles on Indian roads.

Here’s a list of documents one must always carry when riding a two-wheeler on Indian roads:

• Driver’s License
• Registration Certificate of the vehicle
• Pollution Under Control Certificate
• Vehicle Insurance Document

Traffic Police Data

As per the data shared by Delhi Police, from the time of the implementation of new rules to till date, around 4,097 vehicles have been challaned. Out of these, 254 have been challaned for driving under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating substances, 2698 for jumping red lights, 1527 for rash driving, amongst a long list of other traffic violation.

New Traffic Rules: The Road Ahead!

There are mixed reactions about the new traffic penalties. But one thing is for sure, the dramatic spike in the penalty amount will ensure disciplined driving.