Section 181 MV Act

Section 181 MV Act

Recently, the Indian government made certain amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. These amendments were made to restrict people from breaking the law. Due to avoidance in traffic safety rules, there has been a significant increase in road accident rates across the country.

To get this issue under control, the government established the New Motor Vehicle Act, 2019. Under this act, hefty fines and penalties have been imposed for breaking traffic rules. In the case of extreme situations, the driving licence of the individual found guilty will be terminated and/or they will have to face imprisonment.

In this article, we will be specifically discussing Section 181 of the Motor Vehicle Act and the punishments under it.

What is Section 181 of the Motor Vehicle Act?

The Section 181 MV Act is a contravention of Section 3 or Section 4. Let us discuss the two below.

Under Section 3

1. No individual should drive a vehicle in public places unless they have a valid driving licence issued to them by the authority. Moreover, they cannot drive any transport vehicle (other than a motor cab/motorcycle) for personal use or rent the same under any scheme made under sub-section (2) of Section 75, unless their driving licence entitles them to do so. 

2. The circumstances under which the sub-section (1) does not apply to an individual when driving a motor vehicle in India is only when it is prescribed by the Central Government.

Under Section 4

1. No individual under the age of 18 years should be driving a motor vehicle in public places. However, driving a motor vehicle with an engine capacity that does not exceed 50cc is allowed after the individual attains the age of 16 years.

2. With respect to the provision of Section 18, no individual under the age of 20 years is allowed to drive a transport vehicle in any public place.

3. No individual will be issued a learner’s licence or permanent driving licence to drive a motor vehicle of the class that he has made an application unless they are eligible to drive the same under this section.

Importance of 181 Motor Vehicle Act

The 181 MV act was implemented to ensure that people are driving an authorised vehicle with a valid driving licence. Moreover, it discourages minors from driving vehicles without a valid learner’s licence and in the absence of an individual with a permanent driving licence. This further ensures that people abide by the traffic safety rules implemented by the government of India. 

Why The New Motor Vehicle Has Been Introduced?

As mentioned earlier, the New Motor Vehicle Act ensures to get the illegal driving and road accident rates in India under control. With this new bill, the penalties and fines imposed under various Sections have been significantly increased.

We will now discuss the punishments and penalties levied under Section 181 MV act.

Penalties and Fines Under Section 181 of the New Motor Vehicle Act, 2019

The 181 MV Act fines are as follows -

• Under Section 3 r/w 181 of the Motor Vehicle Act, an individual driving without a valid driving licence is liable to pay a penalty of INR 5000 and/or prison punishment of three months. 

• Under Section 4 r/w 181 of the Motor Vehicle Act, an individual (under the age of 18 years old) or minor driving the vehicle is liable to pay a penalty of INR 500 and/or prison punishment of three months.

To Conclude

Driving without a valid driving licence is a punishable offence. Moreover, allowing minors to drive a motor vehicle not only puts people’s lives in danger but also can cause great damage to your vehicle in case of any unfortunate mishap. In fact, know that expenses incurred in such a situation will not be reimbursed under your car insurance or bike insurance plans.  

So, to avoid facing hefty penalties, make sure that you are following the road safety rules and encouraging others to do so too.