Motor Vehicle Act 2019

Owning a vehicle, be it a two-wheeler bike or a car is a dream come true for many people in India. Given the increasing count of vehicle owners on the Indian roads, one can say that it is not very difficult to achieve dreams in this country. However, there is a dark side of it as well. As per studies, around five lakh road accidents happen in India every year on an average, says the prsindia.org. As an Indian, imagine yourself at the place of someone who has lost his loved ones in a road accident. It can happen to just anyone, and every Indian need to contribute towards maintaining road safety, no matter where he lives.

Now coming to the ground realities of Indian cities swarming with bikes and cars every day - More than doing their part to ensure a safe ride, people know about ways to handle issues that may arise on breaking traffic rules. They fear less about being caught for violating a traffic rule than they should. To instil the fear and required wisdom into their minds, Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019 came into being with effect from September 1, 2019. The bill for this act has been passed by Rajya Sabha only recently to make India a safer place to be in. It also aims to create awareness amongst people about the importance of safe driving by increasing the fines imposed on traffic rule violation.

Before moving on to the revised fines and penalties, let’s talk more about the new bill:

What is Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill 2019?

It all started when a group of transport ministers of different Indian states recommended passing a bill that can have a substantial impact on maintaining road safety in India. As a result, the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill 2019 comes, to deter Indians from breaching traffic rules by imposing hefty fines on the offenders, be it for drunken driving, not carrying driving license, over-speeding and many others. Furthermore, these fines will increase every year on April 1 by a certain percentage as per the new amended rules notified by the government.

At the other side, this bill also focuses on protecting Indian citizens from getting emergency medical assistance in case of a road accident. Even the amount of money given as compensation for death or grievance injury cases has been increased considerably

Various Traffic Fines as Per New Motor Vehicle Amendment Act

1. Fines for Not Carrying Proper Documents

The new bill strictly envisages that you carry all the required documents when riding a vehicle on the roads. Traffic police have the right to impose fines on you in case you are caught riding vehicles without documents. You may also end up getting imprisoned for this mistake, depending on the severity of the offence. The revised fines are as follows:

• Fine of Rs. 5000 for not carrying a valid driving license, which may even lead to imprisonment up to 3 months maximum as well.
• A penalty of Rs. 2000 and/or imprisonment of up to three months for not carrying a valid car insurance policy.
• Fine of Rs. 2000 for not having the registration certificate of your vehicle.
• Fine of Rs. 25000 to be paid by the parents in case an offence is done by a juvenile it, plus an imprisonment sentence for 3 years.

2. Fines for Driving-related Offences

These fines include the following:

• Fine of Rs. 500 if the driver of a vehicle is a minor below 18 years of age; in case a juvenile causes an accident, the fine is of Rs. 1000.
• Fine of Rs. 1000 for not wearing helmets, plus disqualification of license for three months
• A penalty of Rs. 5000 for rash driving and over-speeding the vehicles on the roads.
• Fine of Rs. 1000 for over-loading vehicles, along with disqualification of license for three months.
• Fine of Rs. 10,000 for driving in the effect of alcohol or drugs.
• Fine of Rs. 500 for offences like driving in the wrong direction, taking U-turns on roads during the time it is prohibited, driving on pedestrians, violating road markings, to name a few
• Fine of Rs. 500 for overtaking in traffic or not giving way to other vehicles on the road
• Fine of Rs. 500 for disobeying lawful directions on purpose
• Fine of Rs. 5000 for using mobile phones while driving vehicles
• Fine of Rs. 500 for using loud music when riding bikes or cars which can distract others
• Court challan in case the traffic police finds the driver unfit while on the road.

3. Fines for Vehicle-related Offences

Even having your vehicle in a condition different from what is expected can lead to some fines. These are as follows:

Fine of Rs. 100 for not having a number plate on your vehicle
Fine of Rs. 4500 on displaying ‘Applied for’ number plate
A penalty of Rs. 500 for improper use of headlights, tail-lights and even using high beam when not required
Fine of Rs. 500 on driving a vehicle without a horn or having a fancy horn that sounds unpleasant to others on the roads
Fine of Rs. 500 for not following traffic signals, either automatic lights or signals controlled by the traffic police manually
Fine of Rs. 500 for driving an out-of-state vehicle for a period of more than a year
Fine of Rs. 500 for driving a vehicle without side mirrors or defective tyres

4. Fines for Parking-related Offences

Parking your vehicle in the ‘No Parking’ zone may make it towed away by the RTO team. This will impose a fine of Rs. 500 on you. Another penalty of Rs. 100 will be imposed for improper parking offences such as the following:

• Parking vehicle in or against the direction of flow of road traffic
• Causing obstruction to other vehicles on roads
• Parking at the corner of roads
• Causing inconvenience by others by parking vehicle near to a bus stop
• Parking on a bridge, footpaths or in front of a gate

5. Fines for Pollution-related Offences

Some offences done by drivers cause environmental pollution. The new Motor Vehicle Amendment bill raises penalties to prevent it from happening, which are as follows:

• Fine of Rs. 500 for smoking while riding your vehicle
• Fine of Rs. 500 for not carrying a valid ‘Pollution Under Control’ certificate

Related: How to pay fines & penalties online?

Why Should You Care About the New Changed Traffic Rules?

There has been much turmoil amongst Indian citizens ever since the new Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill 2019 came into force from September 1. From almost every Indian city, reports of drivers paying hefty fines are coming up. So, if you want to be on the safe side, you need to know well about the recent amendments made in the traffic rules plus fines for different incidents. It all will help you in being careful in following the traffic rules and becoming a safe driver.

Additional Things to Keep in Mind

Do not let someone else ride your vehicle unless he has a valid license, plus other required documents with him.
Make use of the provisions in your vehicles, both in bikes and cars to carry the required documents whenever you ride them on the roads.
Keep the e-copies of your vehicle-related documents saved in Digilocker and mParivahan app.
Always make sure you buy a comprehensive car insurance policy and get it renewed timely.

The Bottom Line

The recent amendments in the traffic rules and imposed fines are strongly required to create awareness amongst Indians and ensure road safety. Nothing can compensate for the loss of human life in case of a road accident. It is in the hands of every Indian to prevent such incidents. Keep in mind that ignoring these rules should not be an excuse at all.

Be smart, be safe and follow the new rules!

Disclaimer:

The recent changes made in the Motor Vehicle Act 2019 are subject to acceptance by different state legislations. Not all Indian states have accepted the new rules yet. Please check the local legislation to know the application status of Motor Vehicle Act 2019, in your state.