Rash and Negligent Driving: Meaning & Punishment Under Section 279 IPC

Rash and negligent driving is a very dangerous way of driving your motor vehicle. Many times, people are found driving carelessly on public roads. It is important to know that rash driving is a traffic violation and can put your life at risk as well as can possibly harm other people on the road. Overspeeding your vehicle, ignoring the stop sign, racing with other vehicles, drunk driving, etc are also considered under rash and negligent driving. Learn more about its meaning and punishment under section 279 IPC.

What Is the Meaning of Rash and Negligent Driving?

When it comes to rash driving meaning, in simple words, it can be described as driving a vehicle without following the safety rules and violating the driving rules. The careless behaviour of the driver is often the cause of the rash and negligent driving. It is important to check the set speed limit, especially on highways.

These limits are usually set by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, hence, overspeeding a vehicle over the permissible limit is an offence under section 279 IPC. This is because when you overspeed a vehicle on public roads, you are putting your own and other lives in danger. However, it is worth noting that overspeeding a vehicle up to the permissible limit is not considered rash driving. Similarly, if the driver is overspeeding a vehicle when there is no traffic on the road, then it is not considered rash and negligent driving. 

What Is Section 279 IPC of the MV Act?

If a vehicle owner drives a motor vehicle in a manner that can cause injury to another person and endangers human life, then such rash and negligent driving behaviour are considered an offence under section 279 of the Indian penal code. According to Section 279 IPC of the MV Act, the driver is liable to pay the penalty and shall be punished for driving recklessly.

What Is Rash Driving Punishment in India?

If you are caught driving carelessly on public roads then you’ll be considered guilty as per the law. Under section 279 IPC, the violator has to pay a penalty of Rs 1000 for rash and negligent driving and he can also face imprisonment for up to 6 months. In some cases, a person is liable to face both the penalty and imprisonment. The punishment for rash driving in India is decided based on the type of violation and the severity of the situation.

What Is the Punishment If Rash Driving Causes an Injury or Death?

If the person driving recklessly causes an accident due to rash driving and results in an injury to another individual, then he is charged under section 279 IPC of the MV act. The driver will also be considered guilty under section 337 IPC and section 338 IPC wherein he can face imprisonment for up to 2 years along with the hefty fines. Besides this, if the person driving the motor vehicle was under the influence of alcohol or any other toxic substance and caused the accident, then he will be charged under section 304A of the Indian Penal Code.

Thus, section 279 IPC only deals with cases wherein a person driving rash or recklessly may put other people’s lives at risk. In case, the person driving negligently causes bodily injuries to other individuals, then he will be considered as guilty both under Section 279 and 304A of IPC and the punishment would be accordingly. The person will also be considered held liable under section 337 and 338 for endangering other people’s life.

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