Road Rules: India’s New Traffic Rules

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The roads in India are deemed as some of the most dangerous places in the country. When depressing statistics of road accidents hit the headlines in newspapers, we should ideally stop and think about how the roads can be made safer. Recently, the Lok Sabha has approved an amendment proposed to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Referred to as the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016, the proposals in this bill will address some of the problems on the road and improve the safety of commuters.

So what is the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016?

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways grouped together 18 Transport Ministers of States to make suggestions to improve the provisions in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The recommendations from the committee will modify 68 of 223 sections present in the Motor Vehicles Act. The amendments include heavier fines for traffic violations, comprehensive rules for overall road safety, automated testing procedures for obtaining driving licenses, National Registry for all vehicles, and guidelines to encourage commuters to assist victims of road accidents. The amendments also simplify the process of raising claims under motor insurance policies and the settlement of the same. The proposed changes are expected to reduce the number of deaths and injuries from road accidents by 50% by the year 2020. Other recommendations in the Bill aim to improve public transport facilities and road connectivity. Reduction in corruption and waiting time for registration of vehicles using automated technology is another refreshing change proposed by the Bill.

Highlights Of The Bill:

The key highlights of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016 are as follows:

• The Bill proposes amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, to take care of issues associated with third-party liability insurance, road safety, and regulation of cab aggregators.
• The Bill proposes a maximum limit for third-party liability insurance claims following accidents to Rs.10 lakh for death and Rs.5 lakh for serious injuries.
• The Bill recommends a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund that offers compulsory insurance coverage to all commuters in India to protect against specific types of accidents.
• The Bill looks to leverage e-Governance to deliver services to stakeholders. This includes setting up online learning services, removing the need for submitting educational qualifications for transport licenses, increasing the validity of driving licenses, etc.
• The recommendation for the guardian/car owner to be held responsible for an offence committed by a juvenile is noteworthy. The juvenile will be tried under the JJ Act and the registration of the vehicle will be cancelled.
• The Bill also recommends that the State Government should have the power to specify a multiplier between 1 and 10 that will be applied to each fine, for specific cases.
• To assist in Divyang transport solutions, the difficulties in receiving driving licenses and vehicle alterations will be removed.
• The testing and certification process for automobiles will be regulated in a more efficient manner. The testing authorities have also been brought under the governance of the Act.
• There is a proposal for creating a National Register for Driving License and a National Register for Vehicle Registration through “Sarathi” and “Vahan” platforms.

Penalties For Traffic Offences:

The penalties for traffic offences have been revised under the Bill. The updated penalties are as follows:

Basic Road Rules That Need To Be Followed In India:

Some of the basic rules that need to be followed while driving in India are as follows:

• Driving is allowed on the left side of the road and overtaking from the right.
• Drivers should use relevant hand signals or indicators when slowing down, overtaking, turning, or stopping.
• The driver should make sure that the vehicle registration marks are always displayed and not hidden by any load stored in the vehicle.
• It is necessary to follow lane discipline strictly. If a vehicle is turning to the left, it should be in the left lane of the road. The same applies to vehicles turning right as well.
• Drivers are mandated to give free passage to ambulances and fire service vehicles.
• Two wheelers should not change lanes on roads where vehicles are moving at high speed.
• Do not drive at a speed higher than the specified limit or 25 kmph when passing by a construction site, hospital, or school.
• Do not drive on footpaths and take care to stop at pedestrian crossings.