New Motor Vehicle Rules in India from 1st Oct'20

The Motor Vehicles Act came into effect in 1988. This Act mandated insurance policies for all motorised vehicles plying on Indian roads.

Additionally, vehicle owners needed to carry license, registration and vehicle insurance papers at all times during a drive. Failure to comply with these rules lead to hefty fines, and even the cancellation of one’s driving license.

As of 1^st October-2020, Indians need to follow an altered set of rules, which changes the guidelines set forth in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989.

The recent change prioritises digital monitoring procedures to improve traffic law enforcement. With the help of IT and electronic monitoring, Indian roads are set to become safer.

Apart from the ease of monitoring and regulating traffic, the new rules also promote significant convenience on the part of the vehicle owners. Carrying important documents physically is difficult in many cases.

Furthermore, carrying these documents increased the chances of misplacing them. With digital storage facilities, drivers can now leave the original documents safely at home.

Another important change in the rules is the legalisation of using mobile phones for navigation while driving. Most drivers today rely on their phone’s map application for real-time GPS location tracking.

This is especially true when they drive to new locales, which they are unfamiliar with. Such GPS-enabled apps can help drivers find their way without endangering their lives or the lives of others on the road.

However, using your phone for any other purpose while driving remains a punishable offence. Another important factor to keep in mind is that although this digitisation process is well underway, drivers can use existing permits, licenses, fitness and registrations in paper form until December 31, 2020. Police officers and traffic authorities will treat such physical paperwork as valid until then.