Drunk Drivers Causing Death Will Be Sent To Jail For Seven Years!
The government is set to increase the prison term for deaths caused by drunk drivers to seven years besides making lifetime third party insurance compulsory for all vehicles at the time of registration.
The government is set to increase the prison term for deaths caused by drunk drivers to seven years besides making lifetime third party insurance compulsory for all vehicles at the time of registration.
At present, drunk drivers causing death are booked under Section 304A (causing death due to negligence) and face a two-year jail term or fine or both. The Supreme Court has already termed this penalty "absolutely inadequate" and sought harsher punishment for such offences.
Earlier, a standing committee had recommended to the transport ministry that drunk drivers causing death be tried for "culpable homicide", which attracts a 10-year jail term, and the latter had referred it to the ministry of home affairs for necessary measures.
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At least half of the vehicles plying across the country do not have third party insurance and most of them are two-wheelers.
Also Read: Even With High Rate Of Road Accidents, Only 25% Indians Fasten Seat Belts While Driving
The victims of road accidents caused by such uninsured vehicles face the risk of not getting compensation. Third party insurance is mandatory for every vehicle plying on roads.
The parliamentary select committee's report on the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, which was submitted to the Rajya Sabha on Friday, said that the road transport ministry had informed it at the time of framing subordinate legislation that 15 issues will be addressed.
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One of the 15 issues is "punishment in case of death in an accident due to drunk drinking is proposed to be enhanced up to seven years in line with proposed amendments in the IPC," according to the report.
Also Read: 410 People Lost Their Lives Everyday On The Indian Roads Due To Road Accidents Last Year
The transport ministry had also told the parliamentary panel that rules will be framed to compel traffic rule violators to spend time in surgical OPDs of road accident victims to understand the pain caused to others.
It had also told the panel that appropriate rules would be framed to control the speed of vehicles, especially those involved in racing and showing stunts on roads.
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Moreover, the ministry will come up with rules to set uniform standards for breathalysers and mandatory deployment of two drivers in heavy commercial vehicles that are travelling more than 500km.
Four members of the panel have submitted dissent notes on issues including registration of vehicles at dealers' end rather than by RTOs, allowing more private players to operate on regular bus routes and limiting compensation for deaths and serious injuries.
Though the panel has recommended the enactment of the legislation, it has recommended that every traffic policeman or transport department official enforcing motor vehicle law and rules should have body cameras and the offences recorded should be digitally stored and monitored in the control room. "The committee feels that this will reduce arbitrariness and corruption by enforcement officials," the report said.
