Motor Vehicle Act 2019 – New Traffic Rules and Penalties in India

 Motor Vehicle Act 2019 – New Traffic Rules and Penalties in India

The Indian Government recently updated the traffic rules in India with the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act 2019. The new traffic rules came into effect from September 1st. Since then, the news and social media channels are abuzz with cases of hefty fines being levied for offences that went unnoticed earlier. However, these rules are here to stay and will ensure driver, rider and pedestrian safety on the road in the long run.

In today's post we are sharing an overview of the amendment to traffic rules in India and some simple steps that will help you avoid a hefty fine.

New Traffic Rules and Penalties for Drivers/Riders on the road:

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Offence	What is it?	Penalty
General Offences	Violations for which there are no specific penalties under the law.	₹ 500 for the first offence and ₹ 1,500 for subsequent offences
Road regulation violations	Taking a U-turn in a prohibited section, blocking free flow of traffic, not having the security number plates etc.	₹ 500
Disobedience of official orders	Violating orders for detours, stoppage or other traffic management efforts. Disputing/arguing with officials on duty	₹ 2,000
Unauthorized use of vehicles without license	For example, driving a geared scooter when you only have a license for gearless two-wheelers or driving a heavy vehicle while holding a driving license for LMVs.	₹ 1,000 to ₹ 5,000
Driving without license	Not carrying your driving license on person while driving a car or riding a bike	₹ 5,000 and/or community service
Driving despite disqualification	Driving a vehicle when your license has expired or been suspended for a previous infraction	₹ 10,000 and/or community service
Oversized Vehicles	Modifying vehicles for more load bearing or ferrying more people	₹ 5,000 to ₹ 10,000 and/or community service
Over-speeding	Driving/riding over the specified speed limits	₹ 1,000 to ₹ 2,000 for Light Motor Vehicles ₹ 2,000 to ₹ 4000 for MPV/HPV and/or driving license impound
Dangerous Driving	Includes offences like jumping red lights, driving on the wrong side etc.	₹ 1,000 to ₹ 5,000 and/or imprisonment of 6 months to 1 year for first offence + seizure of driving license ₹ 10,000 and/or imprisonment up to 2 years for the subsequent offence
Drunk Driving	Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs	₹ 10,000 and/or imprisonment of 6 months to 1 year for first offence + seizure of driving license ₹ 15,000 and/or imprisonment up to 2 years for the subsequent offence
Speeding/Racing	Racing with other drivers, aggressive driving etc.	₹ 5,000 and/or imprisonment of 1 month + community service ₹ 10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 1 month for the subsequent violation
Offences related to accidents	Causing an accident, physical injury through rash, dangerous driving or breaking traffic rules	Penalty up to ₹5,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 6 months for the first offence ₹10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 1 year for repeat offenders
Driving when physically or mentally unfit	Driving when tired or sleepy or ill or with a mental issue that needs medical therapy	₹ 1,000 for the first offence ₹ 2,000 for subsequent violations
Vehicles without permit	Driving a vehicle without permission to drive in a particular area or region or state	₹ 10,000 and/or imprisonment up to 6 months + community service
Aggregators	Violations of licensing conditions by cab drivers or transport service providers	₹ 25,000 to ₹ 1,00,000
Overloading	Hauling cargo above the specified limit for a commercial vehicle	₹ 20,000 + ₹ 2,000 per extra ton
Overloading Passengers	Ferrying passengers above the specified limit for a people's carrier	₹ 1,000 per extra passenger onboard
No seat belts	Driving without a seat belt for the driver, co-passenger or rear passengers	₹ 1,000 and/or community service
Overloading two-wheelers	Riding with more than one pillion rider	₹ 2,000 and disqualification of license for 3 months and/or community service
Riding without a helmet	For both the rider and pillion rider	₹ 1,000 and/or disqualification of license for 3 months + community service
No giving way to emergency vehicles	Obstructing the path of ambulances, fire brigade or police response vans	₹ 10,000 and/or community service
Driving without insurance	Not having a valid insurance certificate for the vehicle	₹ 2,000 and/or imprisonment up to 3 months for the first offence; ₹ 4,000 and/or imprisonment up to 3 months for the repeat offence
Offences by juveniles	Parent/Guardian/Owner of the vehicle shall be deemed guilty. Juvenile to be tried under The Juvenile Justice Act	₹25,000 with 3 years imprisonment and cancellation of the registration of the vehicle for 12 months
Power of officers to impound documents	Suspension of the driving license by on-duty officer
Traffic offences committed by the police	Twice the penalty under the applicable sections of the new traffic laws