Fines For Expired Car Insurance, Driving Without Insurance

You cannot drive withouti Insurance in India; that’si the law. But thousandsi of people are caughti doing so; that’s thei reality. The situation isi so bad that traffici fines have become ai good source of revenuei for state governments. Everyi year thousands of rupeesi are recovered in traffici fines from law defaultersi across the country. Whyi is the situation soi bad? Simply because manyi people like to cuti corners and shun theiri moral responsibility.

Driving without insurancei has both legal andi financial implications for thosei on the wrong sidei of the law. Thei Motor Vehicle Act 2019,i the amended version ofi the Motor Vehicle Act,1988,i has increased punishment fori uninsured vehicles. The fine fori the first offence ofi driving without an activei insurance policy has beeni raised to Rs 2,000i and/or imprisonment of upi to three months. Earlier,i the without insurance finei was Rs 1,000 and/ori imprisonment of up toi three months. Someone committingi the offence for thei second time will bei liable to pay ai fine of Rs 4,000i and/or imprisonment of upi to three months.

Third-party Insurance

Thei Motor Vehicle Act addressedi the rising number ofi deaths due to accidentsi in India by makingi third-party insurance a legali requirement. Third-party Insurance, ori Motor Third Party Liabilityi Insurance (MTPL), offers protectioni against damages to thei third party by thei insured vehicle. It coversi physical injuries, damages toi the car, damage toi the property, and death.

Whoi are the first, secondi and third parties?

According toi Motor Vehicle Act, thei insurance company and thei insured are first andi second parties. Any otheri who suffered death, injuryi or the person whoi claims damages against thei insured is the thirdi party.

Third-party Insurance is thei most basic cover andi the legal minimum ini India. It only coversi damage to a thirdi party involved in thei accident, whether it isi another vehicle or ai person. It does noti cover the cost ofi repairing or replacing youri car.

The Motor Vehicles Acti of 1988 makes iti mandatory for all vehiclesi plying on Indian roadsi to have a third-partyi motor insurance policy. Ifi you don’t have validi car insurance, the lawi enforcement agencies may prosecutei you or suspend youri driving license until youi renew your policy ori purchase a new one.

Alli vehicles pay an equali fine

The without insurance finei is the same fori all types of vehicles,i be it a four-wheeler,i a two-wheeler or ai commercial vehicle.

person who isi caught driving a cari without valid insurance hasi to not only facei legal actions but alsoi bear other consequences, suchi as financial, besides undergoingi inconvenience. The following arei some of the consequences:

Payi fine or face ai jail term

As mentioned earlier,i the amended Motor Vehiclei Act has raised thei fine for driving withouti insurance to Rs 2,000i in case of thei first offence and Rsi 4,000 if someone isi a repeat offender. Youi are required to payi a car insurance expiredi fine within a stipulatedi time.

The process after someonei is caught without cari insurance

After a traffic copi stops your car fori inspection, the first thingi they are likely toi do is to aski you for your cari insurance policy document ori card, driving license, andi registration certificate. In somei states, they may alsoi ask you for ai pollution under control certificate.i If you fail toi show any of thesei documents, the traffic copsi will issue a challani as a penalty fori driving without insurance. Thei cops will give youi the option to payi online or in cashi at the nearest traffici police station.

Simultaneously, they wouldi ask you to parki your car on thei roadside in the vicinityi or at the nearesti police station so thati you can join themi in the process ofi paying a fine. Ifi the cop who stoppedi you is above ai certain rank in thei police hierarchy, you mayi be allowed to payi a fine on thei spot. Otherwise, you willi have to pay ati the nearest police stationi or online.

Paying fine online

Youi can pay online byi visiting the official websitei of the state transporti department where you livei or the portal ofi the local traffic policei created for this purpose.i If you pay throughi the transport department website,i you should look fori the e-challan payment ori payment for a traffici violation. You will bei required to fill ini certain details such asi vehicle number or challani number. Some sites mayi ask you for otheri details as well.

Enter thei vehicle number and challani number with other detailsi related to the traffici violation. You will bei asked to enter thei captcha code.

The challan amounti can be paid usingi debit or credit cardi or digital wallets throughi the payment system.

In alli cases, you will geti a confirmation message thati the payment has beeni received.

Paying in cash

If youi want to make thei payment in cash andi if the cop doesi not accept it oni the spot, you havei to visit the nearesti traffic police station andi contact the police officeri concerned. You will geti a receipt after makingi the payment. 

Needless to say,i you can legally drivei only after paying thei penalty. Failure to payi fines may result ini increased fines on gettingi caught the next time.

Payi challan in time

Usually, youi are required to payi the challan within 15i days. If you faili to pay within thisi period, you may havei to pay a latei fee. Failure to cleari dues can invite legali or punitive action byi traffic police or thei transport department officials. So,i it always helps ifi you do not keepi such things pending. Iti will only affect youri peace of mind.

Can policei stop your car fori checking?

Yes, the police cani check any vehicle plyingi on the road fori road safety or publici security reasons. In suchi situations, you have toi cooperate with the policei but at the samei time assert your rights.i Stay calm and neveri exhibit hostility towards thei cops as they mayi be doing their duty.i Explain your position calmlyi and do not interferei with the process ofi checking or issuing ofi challan. If you thinki the police misbehaved withi you, you have thei right to complain.

According toi the Motor Vehicles Act,i the traffic police cannoti take away your cari keys forcibly. Similarly, youi cannot be forced outi of your car.

How toi avoid such situations?

Being stoppedi by police for violatingi traffic rules can givei you stress and anxiety.i So, why allow themi a chance to puti you at the inconvenience.i You can avoid suchi situations by:

Keeping the hardi copies of the fouri key documents – drivingi licence, registration certificate, cari insurance certificate and pollutioni under certificate (PUC) ofi your vehicle with you.i You can store softi copies of these documentsi on your mobile phone.

Makingi sure you are neveri without valid insurance. Renewi the insurance in timei or buy a newi one and never drivei without valid insurance.

Making iti a point not toi drive without a licencei or with an expiredi licence. It’s a seriousi offence with legal consequences.

Drivingi safe is your morali and legal obligation andi in your best interests.i Safe driving protects you,i your car and thei members of the publici on the road.

Are youi looking for car insurance?i Visit the Liberty Generali Insurance website to picki the plan that suitsi your needs and profile.

Disclaimer:i For more details oni risk factors, terms &i conditions please read salesi brochure carefully before concludingi a sale. *The discounti amount will vary subjecti to vehicle specification andi place of registration