The Motor Vehicle Act of 1988 has got fresh amendments, and the Lok Sabha has passed it. The penalty amount for breaking traffic rules has been increased exponentially.

The new bill proposes to amend 68 out of the 223 sections in the present Motor Vehicle Act. Taking a note of more minors being caught up in violations, the new amendment to Motor Vehicle Act of 1988 states that if a minor is caught driving and is involved in a fatal accident, parents or the guardians will be held responsible, along with a three-year jail term in addition to the termination of the vehicle’s registration.

Also, compensation for serious hit-and-run accidents will see an eightfold increase to Rs 2 lakh. In addition, the bill moreover proposed setting up a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund that would offer insurance cover to all the road users in the country for a particular type of accidents.

The Motor Vehicle Act 2016 will also bring crash testing in addition to certification of automobiles under its own purview.