Massive hike in penalties for road violations in TN: 10 points

CHENNAI: Think twice before violating traffic rules or pay up hefty penalty as the Tamil Nadu government has hiked penalties of various violations, including riding without helmets, drunken driving, from October 20.

Here the list of violations for which the penalised will be hiked:

1) According to a government order dated October 19 issued by the Home Department, penalty for riding two-wheelers without helmets has been hiked to Rs 1,000 from Rs 100.

2) The order has come at a time when road accident deaths are in rise in the State recently.

3) As per the order, driving uninsured vehicles will attract a fine of Rs 2,000 and Rs 4,000 for second and subsequent violation.

4) Even as the city police has taken up a campaign against unnecessary honking recently, blowing horn unnecessarily or blowing in prohibited areas or driving a motor vehicle which makes use of a cut-out by which exhaust gases are released other than through silencer will attract a penalty of Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 for second and subsequent violation.

5) Driving light motor vehicle at over speed and rash driving will attract penalties of Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 respectively. Those over speeding heavy motor vehicles have to pay Rs 2,000.

6) The order lays that not giving way for emergency vehicles (ambulances) as an offence for the first time and violators will be fined Rs 10,000.

7) With drag races in the city becoming acommon cause for accidents and maiming other road users, the government has also hiked the penalty by 10 times to Rs 5,000 from Rs 500.

8) Carrying excess passengers in transport vehicles beyond permitted capacity and driving motor vehicles without seat belts and carrying passengers without seat belts will attract Rs 200 per excess passenger and Rs 1,000.

9) The government order gives power to police officers below the rank of special sub-inspectors of police, including traffic police, to penalise violators across the State expect the check posts of transport department.

10) Motor vehicle inspectors (nontechnical) can penalise at check posts of transport department. Officers of transport department not below the rank of motor vehicle inspectors (Grade-2) can penalise violators across the State expect the check posts of transport department.