Traffic penalties to get much harsher
To bring more discipline to Indian roads, the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to enhance punishments, raging from higher fines to jail terms, for offences like drunken driving, jumping traffic lights, overspeeding and using mobile phones while driving.
The proposed amendments in the Motor Vehicle Act, which will be introduced during the Budget Session of Parliament, provide for penalties up to five times the existing ones for traffic violations. It also envisages steeper penalties for habitual offenders.
Not using seat belts and driving two-wheelers without helmets will also attract higher punishments.
Fines for drunken driving will range from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000, with jail terms from six months to four years. For heavily drunk drivers, with alcohol levels over 150 mg per 100 ml of blood, the penalty will be two years jail and/or Rs 5,000, against the current Rs 2,000 fine and/or jail for up to six months for those with alcohol levels exceeding 30 mg/100 ml of blood.
Fines for using mobiles while driving have been raised to Rs 500 for the first offence, and from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 for subsequent ones. Mobiles will be defined as “any application which can receive and transmit voice, text and picture”. That means sending text messages or using hands-free instruments will also be considered offences.
For dangerous driving, the penalty is Rs 2,000-Rs 5,000 and/or imprisonment of two years for a second offence. But there is no change in the penalty for first offences: a Rs 1,000 fine and/or six months’ jail.
The government has approved a four-fold increase in compensation to Rs 1 lakh in fatal accidents, and Rs 50,000 for grievous hurt in hit-and-run cases.
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