Motor Vehicle Bill 2020
The Motor Vehicle Bill 2017 has been passed by the Union Cabinet. The bill is designed to make roads around India safer. It is especially made to help save the lives of countless people. The government announced the bill to curb the number of road accidents around India. About 5 lakh accidents occur around India every year. 1.5 lakh residents are killed each year as a result of these accidents. The government passed this new bill with the goal of reducing those totals by 50 percent within the next five years.
Added Fines Are Involved
The most prominent part of the Motor Vehicle Bill 2017 entails increases in fines for many incidents. Many of these fines are being expanded by several times their original values.
These fine increases include the following:
| Violation | Old Fine Total | New Fine Total |
| Driving without a license | Rs. 500 | Rs. 5,000 |
| Drunk driving | Rs. 2,000 | Rs. 10,000 |
| Riding a motorcycle without a helmet | Rs. 100 | Rs. 1,000 plus a suspension of one’s license for three months |
| Seat belt violation | Rs. 100 | Rs. 1,000 |
| Driving without insurance | Rs. 1,000 | Rs. 2,000 |
| Violating road rules | Rs. 100 | At least Rs. 500; the value increases with severity |
| Speeding | Rs. 400 | Rs. 1,000 for light motor vehicles or LMVs, Rs. 2,000 for medium-sized passenger vehicles |
| Unauthorized usage of a vehicle without a license | Rs. 1,000 | Rs. 5,000 |
| Travelling without ticket | Rs. 200 | Rs. 500 |
| Driving after being suspended or otherwise banned from doing so | Rs. 500 | Rs. 10,000 |
| Dangerous driving (driving in an erratic and threatening manner) | Rs. 1,000 | Rs. 5,000 |
| Not responding to road authorities while driving; this includes not pulling off when requested | Rs. 500 | Rs. 2,000 |
| Overloading a vehicle | Rs. 10,000 | Rs. 20,000; this includes Rs. 1,000 for each added passenger beyond capacity and Rs. 2,000 for each extra tonne |
The extensive increases in fines have been designed as a means of trying to make it so people are deterred from driving against the laws. This is also to help with funding many costs associated with handling accidents and road maintenance projects.
Driving Without a Permit
A new charge has been added for cases where a person drives without a permit. In such cases, a person will pay up to Rs. 10,000 for driving without a permit.
The fine will be higher for aggregators who violate licensing conditions. Any part that acts as an aggregator will pay a fine from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 1,00,000 depending on the situation involved. All those who do not have permits or have ones that are out of date are encouraged to take care of their permits and get them secured as a means of preventing potential issues from occurring in the future.
Juvenile Cases
In the event that a juvenile is responsible for an accident, the guardian or parent responsible for that juvenile or the owner of the vehicle that person was driving will be held guilty. The guardian, parent or owner will have to pay a penalty of up to Rs. 25,000 for such an accident. A prison sentence of up to three years may be imposed as well. The severity of the penalty will vary by each accident.
The juvenile in the case will be tried under the Juvenile Justice Act. The registration of one’s motor vehicle will also be cancelled. This is to put responsibility on all parties involved with the accident although the juvenile in question will be impacted the most.
Added Compensation
A key part of the bill comes from the additional of further compensation for victims of accidents. This will be supported by the increases in fines:
- People who are hurt in hit and run cases or those directly related to a deceased victim will receive added compensation. This will range from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 2 lakh depending on the severity of the situation at hand.
- Compensation for fatalities will be available for up to Rs. 10 lakh. The total amount of compensation will vary based on one’s earnings and other factors.
The increases in penalties for many road violations and other acts will help with funding the added amounts of money that will be reserved for compensation.
Keeping Commercial Drivers Honest
The changes are also designed to keep commercial drivers honest with regards to how they handle their vehicles. The changes will dissuade people from possibly trying to overload their vehicles or use them for purposes beyond what they are supposed to work for.
The changes are also with environmental intentions in mind. Commercial vehicles are often at risk of polluting the environment when they are overloaded or add more pressure onto road surfaces. By adding fines and expanding their values, commercial drivers are expected to be more cautious.
By passing the Motor Vehicle Bill 2017, the nation of India is cracking down on those who drive irresponsibly. The bill will help with ensuring that people in the country will be more cautious and controlled when driving around. This especially comes amid the concerns over people being harmed and possibly killed as a result of various accidents.
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