Drink and Drive Fines in India

Drink and Drive Fines in India: What Does the Law Say About Drink Driving? Penalties for Drink Driving Offenses. Paying Fine Online and Offline for Drink and Drive Offense, etc details.

Drink driving continues to be one of the leading causes of road accidents and fatalities in India. Driving under the influence of alcohol severely impairs judgment and reflexes, putting not just the driver but also other commuters at immense risk.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, around 16,000 people died in India due to drunk driving in 2020. This alarming statistic highlights the urgent need to clamp down on drink driving offenses.

To deter motorists from driving in an inebriated condition, the Indian government has levied strict legal penalties under the amended Motor Vehicles Act 2019. Let us examine the enhanced drunk driving penalties and the procedures to pay drink driving fines in India.

What Does the Law Say About Drink Driving?

As per Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 2019, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a criminal offense in India. The legal limit for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) while driving is 30 mg per 100 ml of blood.

Being caught with a BAC level higher than this prescribed limit attracts penalties.

The Act also forbids drunk driving for certain categories of motorists:

Those below the legal drinking age of 25 years
Drivers of commercial vehicles like trucks and buses
Novice drivers holding a learner’s license

So in effect, the law prohibits driving after consuming any amount of alcohol for these groups.

The penalties levied on those caught driving drunk are a steep increase from earlier. The enhanced fines act as a strong deterrent against flouting the law.

For first-time offenders, the fine is up to Rs 10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 6 months. Earlier, the fine amount was Rs 2000.

For second-time offenders, the penalty is a fine of Rs 15,000 and/or up to 2 years of jail time. Earlier, the fine was Rs 3000 for repeat offenses.

Additionally, repeat offences can also lead to the suspension or cancellation of driving licenses by transport authorities.

The above fines are applicable for drivers of all vehicle categories – heavy transport vehicles, light motor vehicles, three-wheelers and two-wheelers. The punishment is the same regardless of the type of vehicle being driven.

Paying Drink Driving Fines: Procedures

When caught drunk driving, the traffic police will issue a legal notice or challan on the spot. The vehicle will also be detained immediately and impounded. It will be released only after the payment of penalties.

There are two ways to pay drink driving challans – online or offline.

Paying Fine Offline for Drink and Drive Offense

To pay the fine offline, the driver must:

Visit the local traffic police station or transport office with the issued challan.
Produce a valid driving license and vehicle documents like registration certificate and insurance papers.
Pay the prescribed fine in cash as mentioned in the challan under the observing officer’s supervision.
Collect a receipt as proof of payment.
Show this receipt at the police station to get the impounded vehicle released.

Paying Fine Online for Drink and Drive Offense

The easier way is to pay the drink driving fine online through the state transport department’s website. The steps are:

Visit the E-Challan payment portal of the state transport department which is is https://echallan.parivahan.gov.in.
On the mainpage, click on the “Pay Online” option.
Now, enter either your Challan Number, Vehicle Number, or DL Number. Then enter the captcha and click on the “Get Details” buttons.
All the challan details of your will open on the screen including the drink and drive fines.
Select the ‘Drunk Driving’ violation category.
Choose the preferred payment method – credit card, debit card, UPI or mobile wallet.
Complete the payment process and save an e-receipt that is instantly generated.
Present this payment confirmation at the traffic police station. The officers will then release the seized vehicle.

It is advisable to complete the fine payment process at the earliest opportunity. Delaying it will lead to the compounding of penalties. The transport department also has the authority to cancel the registration certificate of vehicles detained over drink driving offenses.

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Carrying Valid Documents is Important

When visiting the traffic police station, it is mandatory to carry the driver’s license and vehicle RC book. Failing to produce these at the time of paying fine can attract additional penalties of Rs 2000 and Rs 5000 respectively. So having these documents handy is important.

Deterring Drink Driving Requires Public Participation

Along with stringent fines, raising public awareness is key to reducing drunk driving episodes. Concerted educational campaigns on responsible consumption of alcohol as well as safe driving habits are the need of the hour.

Friends and family must actively discourage driving after drinking. Proactive citizen reporting of drink driving cases to traffic authorities also helps. Employers should advocate against drunk driving and arrange for safe transport for intoxicated employees.

Conclusion

The enhanced penalties are a powerful deterrent to prevent driving under the influence of alcohol. Stricter punishment coupled with public engagement can potentially bring down drink driving cases and make Indian roads safer. But the onus lies on individual drivers to act responsibly, follow the law, and avoid drinking before driving.