DOCUMENTS TO BE CARRIED
WHAT DOCUMENTS SHOULD A PERSON CARRY WHEN DRIVING/ RIDING?
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE?
You will penalized with fine of 1000/- for Two / Three Wheeler, Rs.2000/- for LMV and Rs.5000 for other Vehicles. The registered owner or the person in charge of vehicle is also penalized for the same amount if he allows a person without license to drive / ride the vehicle.
OFFICER AUTHORISED TO COLLECT FINE
WHO IS AUTHORIZED TO COLLECT SPOT FINE FOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS?
Any Traffic officer of and above the rank of Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police is duly authorized to collect spot fine for traffic violations. TRAFFIC VIOLATION NOTICE
I HAVE RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AUTOMATION CENTRE. WHAT SHALL I DO?
YOU CAN PAY THE FINE AT;
WHY HAVE I RECEIVED A VIOLATION TICKET FOR THE VEHICLE I HAVE ALREADY SOLD?
SEAT BELT
WHAT IS THE RULE REGARDING SEAT BELTS? IS IT MANDATORY TO USE SEAT BELTS WHILE DRIVING IN INTERIOR AREAS OR BY LANES?
Occupants in car must wear seat belts while vehicle is in motion (U/S 194-B of MV Act).
USING CELL PHONE
CAN I USE HANDS FREE DEVICE FOR USING MOBILE PHONE WHEN DRIVING?
Not only using mobile phones, even using hands free devices to access mobile phones (earphones, Bluetooth headset, etc.,) while driving is an offence. You are allowed to use mobile phone when driving / riding for navigation purpose only. As per Section 184 (c) M.V Act, no person can use handheld communication devices (mobile phones) while driving or riding a motor vehicle. You will be penalized with fine of 1,500/- for Two / Three Wheeler, Rs.1,500/- for LMV and Rs.5,000 for other Vehicles. Second and subsequent offence attracts a hefty penalty of Rs.10,000/-.
CAN OTHER OCCUPANTS OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE USE THE MOBILE PHONE?
With the exception of the driver other occupants of the motor vehicle can use a mobile phone. However the passenger should not facilitate the use of mobile phone by the driver by holding the mobile phone to the driver’s ear.
IF I AM A DOCTOR; CAN I USE MY MOBILE PHONE IN AN EMERGENCY WHILE DRIVING?
Nobody is exempted in this regard. Pullover your vehicle with necessary precautions and use the mobile.
INCASE OF ACCIDENT
WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF A DRIVER WHEN HIS VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN DEATH/BODILY INJURY/DAMAGE TO PROPERTY?
The duties are as under: Arrange for medical help - Inform the police. In case the vehicle is carrying dangerous goods, keep everyone away, avoid smoking in the vicinity and take emergency action as displayed on the vehicle.
TOWING OF VEHICLES
WHEN ARE VEHICLES TOWED?
Vehicle abandoned or left unattended or parked in a prohibited zone or notified no parking area parked in a way causing inconvenience to other road users and free flow of traffic, can be towed away.
DRUNK AND DRIVING
WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT FOR DRUNKEN DRIVING OR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANY DRUG? WHAT ARE CONSEQUENCES OF DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LIQUOR ABOVE THE PERMISSIBLE LIMIT? ARE POLICE EMPOWERED TO TAKE BREATH ON THE SUSPICION OF DRUNKEN DRIVING? ARE THE ALCO METER READINGS ACCURATE? WHEN CAN A MOTORIST BE CHARGED WITH DRUNK DRIVING? WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR PAYING THE FINE? WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T APPEAR IN THE COURT TO A NOTICE FOR DRUNKEN DRIVING? HOW DO I KNOW HOW MUCH CAN I DRINK TO REMAIN WITHIN PERMISSIBLE LIMIT?
HOW DO I KNOW THAT THE STRAW IS NOT BEING RE-USED? DETENTION OF VEHICLES WHEN CAN THE AUTHORITIES DETAIN A VEHICLE? WEARING OF HELMET IS WEARING HELMET COMPULSORY FOR SCOOTER AND MOTORCYCLE RIDERS? EMISSION TEST CERTIFICATE WHAT ABOUT POLLUTION CHECK? OTHER STATE REGISTERED VEHICLES CAN POLICE PENALIZE VEHICLES JUST FOR THE REASON THAT IT IS REGISTERED OUTSIDE KARNATAKA? COMPENSATION FOR ACCIDENT MY VEHICLE GOT DAMAGED IN AN ACCIDENT. POLICE DID NOT HELP ME IN GETTING COMPENSATION! TRAFFIC OFFENCES I CROSSED THE STOP LINE SEEING GREEN SIGNAL. BUT TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME WAS NOT MOVING AND I GOT PENALIZED. I CROSSED STOP LINE BEFORE THE SIGNAL TURNING RED, WHILE IT WAS STILL YELLOW. BUT I COULD NOT CLEAR THE JUNCTION DUE TO CONGESTION AHEAD. WHY WAS I FINED FOR SIGNAL JUMPING? WHY ARE JUNCTIONS PAINTED CRISS-CROSS IN THE CENTER? SPEED LIMIT I DON’T SEE SPEED LIMIT BOARDS IN THE CITY? PARKING VIOLATION I GOT FINED FOR PARKING VIOLATION. BUT BOARD WAS AT LEAST 20 METERS AWAY FROM WHERE I PARKED? SIGNAL LIGHTS WHY DO TRAFFIC POLICE SWITCH OFF THE LIGHTS DURING PEAK HOURS? SPOT FINE NOTICE AMONG TRAFFIC OFFICERS, WHO IS AUTHORIZED TO GIVE A SPOT FINE NOTICE? DON'T WANT TO PAY SPOT FINE. WHAT IS THE OTHER OPTION? IF YOU ARE A WITNESS TO AN ACCIDENT IF I WITNESS A ACCIDENT, WHAT SHOULD I DO? WILL I BE HARASSED BY POLICE OF OTHER AUTHORITIES TO TESTIFY REPEATEDLY AND SUMMONED AGAIN AND AGAIN TO POLICE STATION / COURT? WHY DOESN’T TRAFFIC POLICE PENALIZE BMTC BUS DRIVERS FOR VIOLATIONS? IS THERE ANY TARGETS? DOES TRAFFIC POLICE HAS ANY TARGETS FOR COLLECTION OF FINE? WHY DO POLICEMEN CATCH THE PEOPLE JUMPING THE SIGNAL? WHY CAN’T THEY STAND ON THE JUNCTION SO THAT NO ONE JUMPS THE SIGNAL? WHY DO TRAFFIC POLICE CATCH VEHICLES FOR OVER SPEEDING EVEN WHEN ROAD IS GOOD AND EMPTY? WHY DO THEY PUT A SPEED LIMIT? NEED FOR TRAFFIC SIGNALS WHY DO WE NEED SIGNALS? WHY CAN’T WE HAVE SIGNAL FREE RIDE IN THE CITY? WHY CAN’T SIGNALS CLEAR ENTIRE TRAFFIC IN ONE CYCLE? ONE-WAYS WHY DOES POLICE MAKE ONE-WAYS? WHY DON’T TRAFFIC POLICE SPEAK ENGLISH OR HINDI? I CAN'T FOLLOW KANNADA. WHY DO TRAFFIC COPS REMOVE IGNITION KEY? WHEN STOPPED FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION, WHY DO TRAFFIC COPS REMOVE IGNITION KEY? HOW DO I KNOW THAT I AM NOT BEING OVERCHARGED? BUS SHELTERS NEAR JUNCTIONS WHY DON’T POLICE SHIFT BUS SHELTERS AWAY FROM JUNCTIONS? HIT AND RUN A DRIVER HIT AND DROVE AWAY DAMAGING MY VEHICLE. HOW DO I CLAIM INSURANCE? FREE LEFT TURN WHY FREE LEFT IS NOT PROVIDED AT ALL THE JUNCTIONS? HOW DO YOU KNOW WHETHER THERE IS FREE LEFT OR NOT? TINTED GLASS WHAT IS THE RULE FOR TINTED GLASSES?
If a driver is caught driving a vehicle with alcohol in his blood exceeding 30 mg per 100 ml or he is under the influence of drug to such an extent that he is incapable of exercising proper control over the vehicle, the following will be the punishments. First Offence: Imprisonment up to 6 months or fine up to Rs 10,000 or both. For Subsequent Offence: Imprisonment up to 2 years or fine up to Rs 15,000 or both
If you are caught driving under the influence of liquor you will be issued a police notice for the appearance in the Court. There is no provision of paying the fine on the spot. Only court is empowered to impose the fine. Moreover, you will not be allowed to continue to drive unless you have a partner who is not under the influence of liquor and has a valid driving license.
OR
You will be advised to hire a cab leaving the vehicle in the police station under acknowledgement till you appear in the court and pay the fine. Your driving license will also be kept with the police till the disposal of the case. You are reminded that on repeat offence of driving under the influence of liquor, there is a provision for enhanced penalty and imprisonment. If you commit a fatal accident under the influence of liquor you could be booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder which is a non-bailable offence.
A motorist caught driving under the influence of liquor beyond permissible limit is liable to be charged with the offence of drunken driving. Legal permissible limit is 30mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. Traffic police use state of art Alco meters (breath analyzers) which is accepted worldwide to measure the level of alcohol in blood. This is scientifically and legally accepted method all over the world. Our instruments are calibrated once in three months with a probable error of +/- 5%. Therefore, we do not panelize anyone below 40mg per 100ml of blood even though legal limit is only 30. Anyone driving with alcohol level below a reading of 40 is not liable for prosecution.
However, not everyone is subjected to breath test. A preliminary or passive test is carried by holding the instrument (breath analyzer) close to the mouth and asking name of the person or to blow which indicates consumption of alcohol (passive test). If the result is negative, no further check is required. If the result is positive, breath sample is taken using the disposable straw and the print out taken using connected printer. Subsequently, the PDA generated police notice is given to the motorists. No one can be prosecuted without a computerized print out indicating reading and a PDA print out mentioning the reading.
However, there is no spot fine for drunken driving. No police officer is allowed to collect spot fines for this offence. The offender will be given a notice, and directed to appear before the jurisdictional court and he has to pay a fine there. The punishment for drunk driving is six month’s imprisonment or payment of a fine up to Rs.10,000/- or both. If the offender is caught committing the offence a second time, he will have to face imprisonment of two years or a fine up to Rs.15,000 or both.
After being issued a notice, the motorist will not be allowed to drive. He will have to leave his vehicle behind and take a cab home or call a friend or relative to drive him home. In case he wants to take the vehicle using the another person who is not drunk but is free to do so after leaving his original driving license and RC book under acknowledgement with the police officer. Very often, motorists try to avoid legal proceedings by bribing the police officers concerned. Follow the proper procedures and do not resort to corruption. Moreover, if a person drives under the influence of alcohol and causes a fatal accident, he will be booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder – which is a non-bailable offence.
If you fail to appear in court, warrant will be issued from the court to compel your appearance. This may lead to arrest and stiffer penalty.
There is no hard and fast rule as it depends on the body constitution, gender, whether; liquor is taken on empty stomach or with the food or the duration over which liquor the consumed. Generally one bottle of beer / 30ml Whisky / Rum will keep the person below the permissible limit of 30 units. However, our metabolism burns about 10 units in an hour. And therefore, larger quantity consumed over longer duration will still keep the person within permissible limits. However, these measures are indicative in nature.
We have strict instructions to use unused disposable straw. You can insist on fresh straw in a sealed cover to be opened in your presence and destroy the straw after you have used it. One is also free to carry his used straw.
Authorities can detain a vehicle in the following circumstances:
Yes. As per Sec 129 MV Act, while riding wearing a standard helmet in appropriate way with securely fastened chin strap is compulsory for any person above 4 years of age. However Sikhs wearing Turban are exempted from this rule. Violators will be charged U/sec 194 D of M.V (Amendment) Act- 2019 for which fine is Rs.500/- and person or a pillion rider without helmet will be disqualified for holding a license for 3 months
It is mandatory to carry a valid emission certificate. However, Police have been instructed not to stop any motorists for merely checking emission certificate.
No. Police are not authorized to penalize any of vehicles for out of State number plates, just because it is registered outside Karnataka. This is not the mandate for Police.
Insurance company and not the Police are liable to compensate the damages. Police will only prosecute the accused for rashness and negligence act in the court of law. A Motor Vehicle Claims case is to be filed separately for claiming damages
Even if signal is green you should not enter the junction unless the tail of the traffic in front of you is moving. Otherwise you will create gridlock and block cross traffic.
Yellow / Amber signal is provided only for those vehicles which have already crossed stop line to clear the junction. You are not expected to enter the junction when the green light has already changed to yellow.
Criss-Cross marking indicates “no standing”. Unless one is sure of clearing the junction, he should not enter the well of the junction even if the signal light is green, because it will block the cross traffic and lead to grid-lock.
As per notification No 248/TD/COP/2014 issued by The Commissioner of Police and published in the Gazette dated 20-11-2014, speed limit in entire city corporation limits is 60 kmph for LMV, 40 kmph for Autorickshaws and 50 kmph for all other vehicles. It is not practicable to erect sign boards all over 4000 kms road length in city. Some designated roads with 4 lanes and above with divided carriage way like Devanahalli road, NICE Road, Outer ring road etc., have higher speed limit of 80 kmph.
It is not possible or practicable to put a board every meter for each vehicle. “No parking” zones are notified by Gazette or by Commissioner of Police and then boards are erected. Each board indicates that roughly 50 m-100m each side of boards is no-parking area. That is why boards are most of the times 100 meters apart.
Though it is not a good practice but is inevitable sometimes due to inadequate capacity of junctions. There are situations when the road is not able to take the entire volume of traffic and tail of traffic ahead does not get cleared even till the next green phase. Now if the lights are not switched off, vehicles will block the junction and make it impossible for even cross traffic to move thus creating a grid-lock. It is loose-loose situation for all. At this juncture policemen take over the signal manually and regulate it according to clearance and relative volume. However, this practice is largely reduced and will disappear soon due to increased capacity of roads and junctions and installing adaptive signals. Switching off also becomes inevitable during acts of nature like water logging, cracks in road and man-made situations like strikes, rasta-roko and VIP movement, major accidents, off roading of vehicle, when one or more roads become unavailable for traffic. In all such situations manual operations are resorted to. This practice is however not encouraged.
Traffic officers of and above the rank of assistant sub-inspector are authorized to give away traffic violation Challans or notices, which are for spot fines. Officers of the rank of Assistant Sub Inspector or ASI (one-star), Sub-inspector or PSI (two-star), Inspector or PI (three-star) are authorized to collect spot fines.
Any officer below the rank of ASI, who are constables and head constables, can only note down the nature of violation and vehicle number through digital Field Traffic Violation Report, and submit the information to the traffic enforcement automation Centre. Notices will then be issued from the Centre. The violator will have to pay the fine as mentioned above. Traffic Constables or Head Constables are not authorized to collect money as they do not carry receipt books of Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). The motorist may lodge a complaint if any officer below the rank of ASI collects fine from him.
If a violator refuses or does not want to pay a spot fine, he would be required to surrender his original driving license - for which the officer concerned would give an acknowledgement. He can walk into the police station within a week, pay the fine and get the DL back or he can pay the fine at court or abide by the orders of the court. If the motorist fails to appear in court, a warrant to compel his appearance will be issued and he will have to face arrest or stiffer penalties.
Please arrange for medical aid and inform the police immediately. Note down the details of the accused person and vehicle before informing the police. A good Samaritan refers to someone who renders emergency aid in an emergency to an injured person. A bystander or witness or a Good Samaritan who makes a phone call to inform police or emergency services shall not be compelled to reveal his identity on the phone or in person. Disclosure of personal information of Samaritan is optional at hospitals. He is exempted from criminal or civil liability for acts done in good faith.
It is not true to say that BMTC buses are exempted from traffic enforcement and that only two wheeler drivers are penalized. Firstly, as against 60 lakh two wheelers, there are only 6000 BMTC buses and hence enforcement of two wheelers is more visible due to sheer numbers. Statistically, whereas two-wheelers constitute 73% of the total vehicle composition, the cases booked against two-wheelers are only 41% of the total cases. Secondly, the mode of penalizing buses is different from that of two wheelers. For traffic violation done by BMTC driver it will be extremely unfair to make 60 passengers suffer by delaying them. Moreover, stopping a BMTC bus even for five minutes can create huge traffic jam and chaos which will take hours to clear. Hence, BMTC buses are not stopped on the roads and instead the violations are noted and notices sent to the Depot Managers for fine recovery.
Ideally our target for fine collection should be zero since ultimate objective is to see that no one violates the traffic rules. We are neither a revenue earning department nor the amount collected has any correlation to departmental budget. Fine collected goes to the general revenue of the government. The fact that strict enforcement resulted in more than Rs.89 crores in 2019 is not a matter of pride for the department but the matter of shame and concern for all of us. We will be happy with fine collection going down if people were to follow rules. Unfortunately traffic violations are rampant especially when police men are not present.
All over the world when one installs signals policemen are removed totally as people follow the signals themselves even at mid night. The scenario in our society is quite opposite. Red means stop, if the policeman is there; red means nothing if policeman is not there. This is a sad reflection on our value system. Ideally, we would like to remove these policemen from the signalized junctions and re-deploy them in other areas which are totally neglected. However, in the absence of self regulation this appears to be a distant dream. Traffic police catches people because they jump signals. Motorists should follow rules irrespective of presence and absence of police men. In the absence of sustainable attitudinal change, enforcement is the only deterrence against indiscipline on roads.
Roads are not only for motorists but for all other road users including pedestrians who have to co-exist. Empty road is not a license to speed without limit because driver cannot always anticipate sudden entry of some other road users. Roads are designed for a particular speed from safety point of view. Driving responsibly is an essential part of defensive driving which should take into account mistakes likely to be committed by other road users. Most of our roads pass through residential and commercial areas where sudden intrusions cannot be ruled out. Speed limits are essential for defensive driving.
To avoid chaos and gridlocks, we need to regulate traffic. Rotaries and road intersections are space sharing devices where traffic from each direction merges, goes around the circle and weaves out. However, rotaries cannot function when PCU (a measure of vehicle density) exceeds 5000. Also rotaries require better discipline and awareness of rules regarding right of way on the part of road users.
Beyond 5000 PCU we require signals which are time sharing devices; allowing one stream of traffic at a time to avoid any merging, weaving and conflict. However, beyond 10,000 PCU, even signals become unmanageable due to abnormal increase in cycle time. We can still continue up to 12000 PCU by restricting few turning movements. Beyond 12000 PCU a grade separator is compulsorily required. Grade separators share space vertically and are the best solution for handling a junction with high PCU Signals are essential part of traffic management in any city. It is neither feasible nor desirable to make grade separator at each junction. Essentially signals bring discipline. Moreover for the pedestrians these are the safest places for crossing the roads.
With approximately 44,000 junctions in the city, and high vehicle density, non-stop movement of traffic can only take place by providing grade separators. It may not be feasibly, practical or even advisable to have grade separator at every junction due to constraints of money and space. Hence, signals are inevitable. Moreover, for pedestrians signals are the only places for crossing the roads safety. All the cities in the world manage traffic using signals. Signaling system, however, can be made more efficient and logical.
World over, time cycle (completing all 4 directions) does not exceed 180 sec. Due to excessive vehicle density, we have time cycles upto 200 sec. Technically, due to improper planning and rapid rise in the ownership of private vehicles, there are more vehicles on the roads than that they can handle. This has impact on the signal timing at the road intersections.
About 25 junctions in city have time cycles even upto 250 sec. This is not a healthy trend and our aim is to bring down upper limit to 200 sec. If time cycle is extended unlimited to clear complete traffic then it causes irritability to the other directions. If entire piled up traffic does not clear in one go, it is actually a problem of capacity of junction i.e. inadequacy of infrastructure and not the signaling system.
One ways are made to overcome limited width (carriage way) of the road and to avoid frequent hold ups for right turn. For two way, every time traffic has to turn right, there arises a need for junction signalized or otherwise. For every right turning traffic has to stop traffic from opposite direction. By making one way, not only width problem is eliminated but also traffic can turn left and right without stopping. As a result, traffic continues to move without stopping and traffic congestions and bottlenecks are minimized.
While traffic policemen are trained to speak basic words in English as well as Hindi; let us not forget that their mother tongue as well as official language is Kannada. They cannot be expected to converse in English, Hindi or any other language as a matter of right. However, they are being trained in soft skills. On the contrary, if you are long-term resident of Bengaluru, there is no harm in picking up a bit of Kannada. Life will be much simpler!
It is not a good practice and we do not approve of it. However, let us not forget that large number of violators try to run away when detained by traffic police; some even endangering life of policemen while trying to run over them. You are certainly not the one like them but many others are.
Fine for most offences is Rs.500/-; for over speeding and using mobile phone is Rs.1000 & for drunk & Driving up to Rs.10,000/- (through court only). However, each officer has a PDA and if you insist on proper receipt there is no scope for you being overcharged. Insist on PDA receipt.
Firstly, installation or removal bus shelters does not come under the purview of traffic police. Unfortunately, each of the bus shelter is a revenue spinner through advertisements for the agency which installs these. But we have taken initiatives to shift this bus shelters without much success. Whereas there is complete consensus among citizens as to where bus shelters should not be; there is no consensus as to where it should be installed, as no residents, no shop-keeper, no establishments wants it in front of their establishment or residence. Hence, there is complete consensus about the problem but none about solution. Moreover, Bengaluru has a peculiarity of having junctions so close that many times it is difficult to find locations for shelters which would be away from junctions on both the sides. We are focusing on not to let them commit mistake in future. However, correcting the historical legacy appears difficult at the moment. But buses stops even where there is no bus shelter i.e. beginning of all the flyovers because people stand and wait there. So it is not an issue of shelters, bus drivers but much beyond that i.e. citizens.
In case of minor damage and you want to take claim from your own insurance because you have not noted the number of other vehicle or you don't want to pursue it, visit the jurisdictional police station, ask for a SHD entry and acknowledgement and it will help you in claiming insurance. In case you want to claims from the other vehicle’s insurance to pay for the repairs, get FIR and after the case is charge sheeted, file a claim. But in this case the number of the other vehicle should be known.
Providing or prohibiting free left depends on the width of both merging & demerging roads; free left has no meaning if it is merely one or two lane road since the turning traffic will conflict with oncoming traffic. Wherever there is adequate road width for merging or wherever channelizing islands are provided free left can be given. Also free left impinges on the rights of pedestrians to cross the road safely. Therefore, wherever pedestrian crossing movement is heavy, free left cannot be provided.
Scenario is quite different in some advanced countries where free left is always provided because roads are four to five lane wide in each directions and drivers display exemplary etiquettes by stopping whenever pedestrians are crossing. If we had such etiquettes on the roads providing free left would not have been difficult. However, that is not the scenario in reality. Hence, it is difficult to provide free left on all the roads in Bengaluru.
There are two ways Look for road signage, saying “free left prohibited “which obviously means that one cannot take free left turn. Secondly, look at the traffic signals. If there is a dedicated signal for taking left then you should wait for that signal to turn green and it means that free left is not available
While considering WP 265/2011 of Sri. Avishek Goenka, the Honible Supreme Court has banned the use of black films in the vehicles.
As per CMV Rules 100 (2) ‘from front wind shield and back side glass VLT (Vision Light Transmission) should be 70% while from side windows VLT should be 50% as per Indian Standards 2553: Part 2 – 1992. Violation of this rule attracts fine under Sec 177 of IMV Act 1988.
However, tinted glass (i.e inbuilt i.e, not pasted any black film) with the above specifications are allowed. However black film of any kind is prohibited.