Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019
An Overview of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019:Reforms in Traffic Laws and Penalties
The primary objective of the Motor Vehicle Act 2019 is to strengthen road safety, provide a deterrent against traffic violations and regulate the transport sector. Key changes brought about by the Act include increased penalties for violations such as not wearing a seatbelt or helmet, rash driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Here are the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019:
Sl. No. | Offence | Old penalty amount as per 1988 Motor Vehicle Act | New penalty amount as per the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019 |
01 | Driving without valid permit | Up to Rs. 5,000 | Up to 6-month imprisonment, community service and/or Rs. 10,000 penalty |
02 | Unauthorised use of the vehicle without valid license | Rs. 1,000 | Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 5,000 |
03 | Seizing vehicles without lawful authority | Rs. 500 | Rs. 5,000 |
04 | Speeding | Rs. 500 | For 1st time: 1-month imprisonment, community service and/or Rs. 5,000 penalty
Subsequent incidents: 1-month imprisonment, and/or Rs. 10,000 penalty |
05 | Violation of road regulations | Rs. 100 | Rs. 500 |
06 | Officers' authority to seize papers | Not applicable | License suspension |
07 | Oversized vehicles | Not applicable | Community service and/or Rs. 5,000 – Rs. 10,000 penalties |
08 | Overloading on two-wheeled vehicles | Not applicable | Rs. 1000 per extra rider |
09 | Overloading | Rs. 2,000 + Rs. 1,000 per extra ton of weight | Rs. 2,000 + Rs. 2,000 per extra ton of weight |
10 | Over-speeding | Rs. 400 | For LMVs: Rs. 1,000 – Rs. 2,000 |
11 | Accident-related offences | Not applicable | For 1st time: Up to 6-month imprisonment, and/or up to Rs. 5,000 penalty
Subsequent incidents: Up to 1-year imprisonment, and/or Rs. 10,000 penalty |
12 | Offenses committed by law enforcement | Not applicable | Twice the penalty defined under the relevant slab |
13 | Juvenile offences | Not applicable | The car's guardian/owner will be held responsible.
3 years in jail with an Rs. 25,000 fine and a 12-month suspension of the car's registration.
The juvenile driver will face charges under the 2015 Juvenile Justice Act. |
14 | Free traffic flow obstruction | Rs. 50 | Rs. 500 |
15 | No helmet while driving | Rs. 100 | License disqualification for 3 months and/or Rs. 10,000 penalty, community service |
16 | Obstructing emergency vehicles | Not applicable | Rs. 10,000 penalty and/or community service |
17 | No seat belt | Rs. 2,000 | Rs. 1,000 penalty and/or community service |
18 | Drunk driving | Rs. 2000 | For 1st time: 6-month to 1-year imprisonment, and/or Rs. 10,000 penalty
Subsequent incidents: 2-year imprisonment, and/or Rs. 15,000 penalty |
19 | No insurance | Rs. 1,000 and/or 3-month punishment | For 1st time: Up to 3-month imprisonment, and/or Rs. 2,000 penalty
Subsequent incidents: Up to 3-month imprisonment, and/or Rs. 4,000 penalty |
20 | No license | Rs. 500 | Rs. 5000 and/or community service |
21 | Driving when physically/mentally unfit | For 1st time: Rs. 200
Subsequent incidents: Rs. 500 | For 1st time: Rs. 1000
Subsequent incidents: Rs. 2000 |
22 | Driving with disqualified license | Rs. 500 | Rs. 10,000 penalty and/or community service |
23 | Disobedience of authority orders | Rs. 500 | Rs. 2000 |
24 | Dangerous driving | Rs. 1000 | For 1st time: 6-month to 1-year imprisonment, license seizure and/or Rs. 1,000 – Rs. 5,000 penalty
Subsequent incidents: 2-year imprisonment, and/or Rs. 10,000 penalty |
25 | Aggregators | Not applicable | Rs. 25,000 – Rs. 1,00,000 |
26 | General traffic offences in India: | For 1st time: Rs. 100
Subsequent incidents: Rs. 300 | For 1st time: Rs. 500
Subsequent incidents: Rs. 1,500 |
How does it affect you?
Here’s how the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019 affects you:
1. Increase in accident compensation
2. Quicker vehicle registration processes
3. Faster online application for license
4. Enhanced PUC rules
5. E-challans are introduced.
Conclusion
We have seen that the new provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act 2019, as well as its existing provisions that were not amended, are an important step toward road safety. A few of the provisions, like a higher penalty for not having car insurance or bike insurance, have been long awaited. This legislation will make it clearer what is expected of drivers and should, if enforced properly and stringently, help reduce the number of fatalities on Indian roads.
