In a bid to curtail mishap caused under the influence of alcohol, soon insurance companies will stop paying compensation to the victims in accidents which are caused due to drunk driving. Not only this, also a person driving under the influence will be liable to pay all the expenses if he/she causes death or injury.
The new decision has come in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill which was introduced in Lok Sabha on Friday. Road Transport Ministry has accepted the suggestions made by the panel and has referred the recommendation to the Ministry of Home Affairs as it needs an amendment of IPC.
The reason for introducing the bill is to reduce number of accidents caused due drunk driving, said Road transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, however, expert say that the new bill will curb number of accidents caused due to drunk driving but at the same time the victim might not get the required amount as compensation as it will depend on the paying ability of the accused.
As per a report published in Times of India, S P Singh who is associated with a Delhi based think tank on transport matters said, “Why is the government putting such a provision when it’s aware of the income of professional drivers? This will indirectly benefit the insurance companies. Any single drunk driver hitting road is a failure of the government authorities.”
Recently, Supreme Court had put a ban on liquor vendors and pubs which comes under the radius of the 500 metres on national and state highways.
