Traffic Laws

 Indian laws on accident claims are quite stringent. The laws were formulated by prioritizing the best interests of the victims and those who are liable to disburse the compensation, such as insurance companies. Indian laws on motor vehicle accident claims are strict but beneficial for victims in claiming their legal rights in a court of law.  

 A car accident lawyer specializes in claims and cases pertaining to road accidents. A motor vehicle or car accident lawyer is also known as a personal injury attorney. The focus area of such a lawyer is to deal with technical and medical issues associated with car accidents and represent the client’s claim for compensation in court, and bring up any such legal rights that were infringed or violated by the occurrence of such an accident. 

In August 2010, India legal news reports indicate that one of the main reasons for road accidents in India pertains to overloading of vehicles. In 2005, the Supreme Court had ordered that the trucks that were caught carrying excess load shall offload their excess cargo. Further, the apex court ordered for strict compliance with the sections 113 and 114, of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. However, the Rajasthan government has permitted overloading of trucks, by imposing a penalty.

Did you know that road accidents annually result in over 70000 deaths on Indian roads?  According to World Road Statistics (WRS) 2007 data for the year 2005,  India ranked second in the highest number of road accidents in a year, only next to China. Maximum road accidents were registered in the states of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra in 2006.

How many times have you noticed the signboard ‘Speed thrills but kills,’ while driving? Ironically, only a few yards after crossing the sign, hardly anyone remembers it; at least not those who engage in rash driving! Whatever the excuses for rash driving, the end result is usually the same: fatal accidents that claim innocent lives.

Traffic accidents are becoming more and more common in India. Our lives are becoming busier and we spend more time in traffic jams on a daily basis. Believe it or not, our chances of being involved in a traffic accident have increased. Various India legal news reports of 2008 indicated that every five minutes an Indian is killed in a road accident.

The term ‘road rage’ pertains to the violent events that take place on roadways, due to the stress caused by driving on high traffic regions. An incident of road rage occurs, when an angry or impatient motorist or traveler threatens or attempts to kill or actually kills or injures a fellow commuter. It often starts with an exchange of angry words and furious verbal retorts at a fellow passenger.

Road travel can be made safer if you follow some simple safety regulations. For example, how often do you see people parking their vehicles in a public place that can cause inconvenience to others or in a place that clearly indicates is not the place for parking?

We all know how dangerous the road travel conditions are while driving in India. It makes sense to be aware of the safety regulations in India. The roads are in bad condition, with cows strolling about in the middle of the road, endless traffic jams that cause rage among commuters at peak hours and deadly potholes that you may not see while you are driving. Road construction is poorly executed in India. Roads are widened but the side-walks for pedestrians have become so narrow that it is of no use. If this is the condition in India’s popular metros such as Delhi and Mumbai, you can imagine what the road conditions are likely to be in other rural areas or places where there is more congestion and bad state of roads.

In the US, many states ban the use of handheld cellphones and even ban text messaging while you are driving. A primary enforcement law permits an officer to stop you and issue a ticket to you if you used your cellphone while driving. A secondary enforcement law permits an officer to stop you only if you are violating a primary law such as driving despite a stop sign or overspeeding but this law allows an officer to cite a cellphone ban violation while issuing you the ticket.