A few years ago, many would complain that things are not changing fast enough. Now, we hear those same people protest about the change being difficult to catch up with. You might not be among those, but a change in traffic laws will definitely catch up and stay with you if you’re found guilty. To be implemented shortly across India, the traffic police in the city of Hyderabad has started a new point based penalty system, where violating traffic rules will accrue points on your driving licence. Collect 12 and your driving licence will be suspended for a period of 12 months!
Here’s how it works. Every penalty point that your driving licence earns, will stay on it for a block period of 24 months. During this duration, if the total number of points you accrue for violating traffic rules exceeds 12, your driving licence will be placed under suspension for a period of 12 months. If the same culprit accrues 12 points again after the first suspension period, his/her driving licence will be placed under suspension for 2 years and similarly 3 years for repeatedly exceeding the 12 points limit. If you think that you’d get away with just points on your driving licence for violations, these are in addition to a heavy fine which will be imposed for the particular violation.
Nearly a thousand violators have been booked in Hyderabad alone since the penalty system’s implementation. Here are a few examples. Carrying an additional passenger than what has been set as the legal limit will attract one point. Driving without a seat belt will attract just as many. Drive on the wrong side and you will score a couple. Driving under the influence of alcohol or any such substance will attract four points if you are behind the wheel, three if you are on a motorcycle. Drive at a speed which is 40 km/hr higher than the limit and you will attract two points. Exceed the speed limit by more than 40 km/hr and two becomes three. Oh and if you are caught driving/riding during the time when your licence is suspended, you will go to jail for 3 months, your vehicle will be seized and a charge sheet will be filed against you. They say even cops will be under the ambit of this new system. But who will mark those points on their licences?