Chapter XIII — Offences, Penalties And Procedure
Section 184 — Driving dangerously
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Act 59 of 1988)
Text of the section
Driving dangerously.—Whoever, drives a motor vehicle at a speed or in a manner which is dangerous to the public, having regard to all the circumstances of case including the nature, condition and use of the place where the vehicle is driven and the amount of traffic which actually is at the time or which might reasonably be expected to be in the place, shall be punishable for the first offence with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, and for any second or subsequent offence if committed within three years of the commission of a previous similar offence with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees, or with both.
Reproduced from the India Code text of the Act. Bracketed superscript numerals are the official footnote markers for earlier amendments.
Amended by the 2019 Amendment Act
In section 184 of the principal Act,— (i) after the words “dangerous to the public”, the words “or which causes a sense of alarm or distress to the occupants of the vehicle, other road users, and persons near roads,” shall be inserted; (ii) for the words “which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees”, the words “which may extend to one year but shall not be less than six months or with fine which shall not be less than one thousand rupees but may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both” shall be substituted; (iii) for the words “which may extend to two thousand rupees”, the words “of ten thousand rupees” shall be substituted; (iv) the following Explanation shall be inserted, namely:— “Explanation.—For the purpose of this section,— (a) jumping a red light; (b) violating a stop sign; (c) use of handheld communications devices while driving; (d) passing or overtaking other vehicles in a manner contrary to law; (e) driving against the authorised flow of traffic; or (f) driving in any manner that falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver and where it would be obvious to a competent and careful driver that driving in that manner would be dangerous, shall amount to driving in such manner which is dangerous to the public.”. 68.
This is the amending instruction from the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 32 of 2019), quoted verbatim. Read it together with the text above — the consolidated version is the section as it reads once these changes are applied.
Before you rely on this. The base text above is the Act as consolidated by the India Code, which predates the 2019 amendment; any 2019 change is shown separately rather than merged in. Later amendments may also apply. For anything official, read the current text on the e-Gazette or the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways site.
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