Proposed Amendments for Motor Vehicles Act to Facilitate Insurance Claims, Boost Road Safety

Digitisation and linking of national data base of registered vehicles with accident data and insurance would ensure prompt payment of compensation to road accident victims, said a top official of General Insurance Council.

"Digitisation and linking of national data base of registered vehicles (Vahan and Sarathi) as well as accident data and insurance would ensure that the payment of compensation to victims or family would be prompt and timely," GIC Secretary General R. Chandrasekaran told IANS.

The Vahan and Sarathi are two software programmes for vehicle registration and for driving licences with standardised format implemented by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.The two programmes are conceptualised to capture the functionalities as mandated by Central Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, as well as state motor vehicle rules with customisation in core product to suit the requirement of various Indian states.

The Motor Vehicles Act is proposed to be amended with some far reaching changes in focus on the safety of the road users, road accident victims, stricter driving licensing norms and penalties for law violators. According to Chandrasekaran, the amendments proposed are laudable and well intended, which when implemented well after enactment would certainly address the critical issue of reducing road accidents and fatalities.

"It would also address various other challenges that are being faced by all road users, such as immediate medical treatment, quick relief to victims or victims' families and payment of compensation to road accident victims could be provided promptly (without the rigors of protracted litigation and associated undue delays)," Chandrasekaran said.

Queried about the impact of the amendments on the policies Chandrasekaran said: "The insurance policies will undergo modifications based on the provisions made in the Amendment Bill. Motor third party insurance policies follow the mandated provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. Hence in force policies and new policies issued would follow the amended provisions."

"The claims already intimated or which have occurred would follow the provisions of the policy issued to them," he said.

According to Chandrasekaran, the proposed Bill contains a number of provisions towards reduction in road accidents; road safety for all road users, availability of golden hour treatment; interim relief to victim or family; ease of registration of vehicles, driving licence, permits online, penalties for traffic violations to act as deterrents are some of the major objectives.

If passed as proposed, the bill would surely usher in change for the benefit of the country and all road users, he added.