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 Sector 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 offenses.
At least half of the vehicles plying across the country do not have third-party insurance and most of them are two-wheelers.
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 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.
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 offenses recorded should be digitally stored and monitored in the control room.
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