Fine for Driving Car Without Car Insurance in India

Uninsured vehicles pose possible threats to other cars on the road. As per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, driving an uninsured car is a punishable offence and can invite fines or even imprisonment if the same violation is committed multiple times.

Legal Consequences

One may have to pay fines of upto INR 4000 and face imprisonment of upto 3 months, as driving an uninsured vehicle in India is considered a serious violation of traffic laws.

Insurance Requirements

Every vehicle owner is required to purchase a third-party liability cover as a minimum requirement to be eligible for driving cars in India. While buying a new car, try to opt for a comprehensive car insurance policy that also provides a third-party liability cover.

Penalty for Driving without a Car Insurance in India

Driving without insurance is considered a major traffic law violation in India. Those involved can face imprisonment and pay hefty fines. Here are a few rules and regulations applicable to uninsured car drivers in India.

Hefty Fines & Imprisonment

Those who do not possess car insurance, even the bare minimum as a third-person liability cover are liable to pay fines.

For first time offenders, the applicable fine amount is INR 2000. Repeat offenders have to pay double the amount and if the violation is grave, then they can face imprisonment of upto three months.

Vehicle Impounding

In worse cases, where the offenders are found to have violated the law multiple times, their vehicles can be seized by local law enforcement authorities.

Benefits of Car Insurance

Car insurance has many benefits. Buying a car insurance is not only beneficial for your car’s health but also ensures legal compliance with the traffic laws. Policyholders benefit from the following when they purchase car insurance.

Financial coverage for damages

If you are involved in a car accident or subjected to an unfortunate theft, a comprehensive car insurance covers the monetary damages provided you present accurate documentation and report the incidents in due time.

Legal Compliance

In India, driving without car insurance is a punishable offence. First time offenders are liable to pay a fine of INR 2000 and repeat offenders have to pay a fine of INR 4000 and a 3 months imprisonment. Suppose you are unable to afford comprehensive car insurance. In that case, it is recommended to at least purchase a third-party liability cover that saves you from paying a third-party who has sustained loss due to your negligence.

Add-On Covers

In addition to the comprehensive cover, one can purchase add-ons such as engine protection cover or zero depreciation cover to compensate for specific reasons such as engine damage or to claim IDV without depreciation calculation.

The first thing you should do after violating a traffic rule is to cooperate with the traffic police. If you get caught driving a car without carrying a car insurance plan, you should pull up your car wherever the officer indicates to stop. If the officer asks you to show the registration certificate of your car as well as your driving license, just show him and you will be allowed to go without any punishment. But, if you do not hold these documents, then the police officer can issue a challan immediately for driving a car without carrying an insurance cover. You can pay the penalty amount of the challan online as well as offline mode.

Online Method to Pay the Fine

• Visit the official website of the State Transport Department
• Look for the section of e-challan payment or payment for a traffic violation. On finding the tab, click it to move further.
• Enter the vehicle number and challan number with other details related to the traffic violation. In addition to this, you will have to enter the captcha code.
• Make payment for the challan amount using a debit or credit card. In addition to this, you can also pay using digital wallets through the payment system.
• You will get a confirmation message of getting a receipt after making the payment.

Offline Method to Pay the Fine

In case you want to make the payment for the challan through an offline payment system, rather than using an online or digital mode of payment, then you must visit the nearest traffic police station. You should contact the concerned officer there to know the pending amount of penalty that you have to make the payment for. Pay the amount and clear all the dues and make yourself free from the charges.

The complete payment of the penalty will allow you to drive your car, either private or commercial, without any kind of restriction in the future. On the other hand, if you fail to make the payment for the challan, then it may result in the increase of the fine that will be imposed on you on getting caught for the next time.

Tips to Drive Your Car Responsibly on the Road

The following are some tips that can help you avoid getting penalised while driving a car:

• Hold hard copies of important documents like the Driving License, Registration Certificate, and Pollution Certificate of your vehicle.
• Store soft copies of all these relevant documents on your mobile phone as well.
• Never miss the timely renewal of your car insurance policy to avoid a penalty.
• Buy an insurance plan for every car you have. A third-party insurance cover is mandatory for every car owner, hence, do acquire a minimum of this insurance policy to avoid any fine.