As per section 4 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, no person below 18 years of age shall drive motor vehicles in any public place. Also, a person, after attaining 16 years of age, can drive a motorcycle with engine capacity not exceeding 50cc only after attaining a learner’s license.
Therefore, if your child is below 18 years of age and is caught driving a motor vehicle without any learner’s license, in that case, you will be penalised under section 199A of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. The guardian will be penalised with a maximum of three years of imprisonment and a fine of twenty-five thousand rupees.
The vehicle registration for the commission of offence will be cancelled for twelve months. And the child who committed the offence will be eligible for a learner’s license or driving license only after attaining the age of twenty-five years.
Note: The child’s guardian will not be penalised if the offence was committed without his knowledge or he exercised all due diligence required to prevent the commission of the offence.
The vehicle owner who permitted the juvenile for driving their motor vehicle will also be punished with imprisonment for a maximum of three months or five thousand rupees fine or both.
Due to an increase in underage driving offenders, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 was enforced, making rules more stringent and increasing imprisonment to three years for the guardian of juveniles committing offences under the Act.
Also, along with a valid Driving License, the driver needs to have the vehicle’s insurance papers, Registration Certificate and Pollution under Control Certificate to drive on Indian roads.
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