There is now bad news for those who drive recklessly on the road. Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has made a proposal that can prove to be heavy on the pockets of reckless drivers. He has written a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and recommended charging index linked insurance premium from drivers who violate traffic rules. This means that if you have repeatedly broken traffic rules like overspeeding, jumping red lights or any other kind, then you will have to pay more money for the insurance premium.
A big step towards road safety
The Lt Governor said that apart from imposing fines on drivers violating traffic rules, it is also necessary to increase the insurance premium. This will not only promote safe driving habits but will also reduce road accidents. The proposal aims to promote responsible driving and reduce loss of life and property on the road.
Careless drivers play a role in 60% of accidents
VK Saxena in his letter cited the 2023 report of the Delhi Traffic Police stating that 60% of road accidents were caused by vehicles that had already been fined for overspeeding and red light jumping. These figures show how big a risk of accidents remains on the road due to reckless driving vehicles.
Statistics for the whole country
There were 4.37 lakh road accidents in India in 2022, of which about 1.55 lakh people died. Overspeeding was responsible for 70% of these accidents, while red-light jumping also played a role in many major accidents. According to World Bank data, vehicles violating traffic rules have a 40% higher risk of being involved in accidents than vehicles that follow the rules.
What will change for you?
If this proposal is implemented, people who repeatedly violate traffic rules will have to pay higher premiums for their vehicle insurance. For example, if you have overspeeded or jumped red lights several times in the past year, then the next time you insure your vehicle, you will have to pay several times more than the normal premium.
