Road Ministry Issues New Rules on Reporting Road Accident to Settle Claims

 The road ministry on Thursday said it has issued a notification to mandate the procedure for detailed investigation of road accidents, detailed accident report (DAR) and its reporting along with timelines for different stakeholders for quick settlement of claims by the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT). The ministry in a statement further said the incorporation of validated mobile numbers in the certificate of vehicle insurance has also been made mandatory. The new rules will come into force from April 1, 2022.

Ahead of this, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, vide notification dated 15th February 2022 amended Rule 138 of CMVR, 1989 and prescribed norms related to safety measures for children below four years of age, riding or being carried on a motorcycle.

This has been notified under Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which mandates that the Central Government may, by rules, provide for measures for the safety of children below four years of age, riding or being carried on a motorcycle. Further, it specifies use of a safety harness and crash helmet. It also restricts the speed of such motorcycles to 40 kmph.

These rules will come into force after one year from the date of publication of the Central Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022.

In the same slew of announcements, the Ministry also made it mandatory for heavy vehicles carrying dangerous or hazardous goods to mandatorily have vehicle tracking device systems.