Anyone can be a driver with an elementary amount of knowledge but what separates them from the good driver is what that counts. This is why common traffic violations and fines are something that every individual should know about. Even in this age where artificially intelligent traffic cams are slowly but steadily being employed, we often underestimate the safety of our near and dear ones that should always be the precursor. Fines for a traffic violation is just an after effect.
India is not doing spectacularly regarding road safety. It’s not even near good. With the bustling population that is only climbing and the number of new vehicles that debut each year, the number of traffic violations and accidents are on the rise. The infrastructure and the lack of civic sense among the general drivers is also an aggravating factor for the traffic violations. More than a lakh of such drivers fall prey to an alarming 5 lakh accidents each year according to government statistics, a staggering figure compared to other western countries.
Let's look into the common traffic violations and fine:
- No License: A fine of Rs.5000 is imposed on people driving without a proper license, and this is one of the most serious traffic violations as it can be just anyone. And the number of such people are surprisingly very high due to corruption and slim vigilance.
- Drunken Driving: Section 185 in The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 states that driving under the influence of alcohol (blood containing alcohol more than 30 mg. per 100 ml. of blood) is a serious traffic violation and a criminal offence. The person is punishable for the first offence with imprisonment for a term of up to six months and with fine which may extend to Rs. 2000. Subsequent offence traffic violations can land a person into bigger trouble.
- No Seatbelt: Most of the drivers wear a seatbelt just because it’s the law and not out of a civic sense that it can save them from a fatal affair. As ridiculous as it may sound, the fine though is pretty hefty; Rs.1000. This is one of the most ignored traffic violations in the country but can lead to serious problems if exploited.
- Helmets: This one is specifically for two-wheelers and is a lifesaver only if they are worn — a fine of Rs. 1000 and the possibility of license being invalidated for three months is the penalty for not wearing a helmet.
- Rash Driving: This is one of the most common traffic Violations and fines for this can lead up to Rs. 5000. Along with drunken driving, this is one traffic violation that can not only put the driver’s life in danger but can also be precarious for pedestrians and other vehicles.
- Hit and Run: This has a fine that has an upper limit of Rs.10 lakhs and can have far more serious consequences if proven guilty. This is one of the most severe traffic violations, and the fine amount justifies it.
- Permits: Another traffic violation category is wrong or insufficient permits and have a fine of Rs. 10,000. These are very common in larger goods vehicles.
- Speeding: A driver can be speeding for just about any reason, starting from an appointment that he or she doesn’t want to miss, to illegal racing. This traffic violation can cause a lot of damage to public properties and also jeopardise the lives of other people who are following traffic rules. For light motor vehicles, the over speeding fine is Rs.1000, and for medium passenger vehicles, it is Rs.2000.
- Driving Without Insurance: Fine for driving a car on the roads without a valid insurance policy is Rs. 2000 and is considered as one of the traffic violations to the Motor Vehicle Act.
Over the years, most of the above categories in traffic violations list have been seriously looked into by the legal authorities, and the government and most of the fines and penalties mentioned above for traffic violations were far lesser than what they are now. But what can eventually be an ultimate deterrent to accidents and these common traffic violations and fines are nothing but the general traffic and civic sense of people, with the respect for law and order and the strict implementation of such traffic rules by the administration. Just instilling fear among people about common traffic violations and fines will never be enough and it never was.