Chapter XIII — Offences, Penalties And Procedure

Section 183Driving at excessive speed, etc

Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Act 59 of 1988)

Text of the section

Driving at excessive speed, etc.—(1) Whoever, drives a motor vehicle in contravention of the speed limits referred to in section 112 shall be punishable with fine which may extend to four hundred rupees, or, if having been previously convicted of an offence under this sub-section is again convicted of an offence under this sub- section, with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees. (2) Whoever, causes any person who is employed by him or is subject to his control in driving to drive a motor vehicle in contravention of the speed limits referred to in section 112 shall be punishable with fine which may extend to three hundred rupees, or, if having been previously convicted of an offence under this sub-section, is again convicted of an offence under this sub-section, with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees. (3) No person shall be convicted of an offence punishable under sub-section (1) solely on the evidence of one witness to the effect that in the opinion of the witness such person was driving at a speed which was unlawful, unless that opinion is shown to be based on an estimate obtained by the use of some mechanical device.

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 183 of the principal Act,— (i) in sub-section (1),— (a) after the words “Whoever drives”, the words “or causes any person who is employed by him or subjects someone under his control to drive” shall be inserted; (b) for the words "with fine which extend to four hundred rupees, or, if having been previously convicted of an offence under this sub-section is again Amendment of section 180. Amendment of section 181. Amendment of section 182. Substitution of new section for section 182A. Punishment for offences relating to construction, maintenance, sale and alteration of motor vehicles and components. Punishment for contravention of section 62A. Amendment of section 183. 34 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY [PART II— convicted of an offence under this sub-section, with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees", the following shall be substituted, namely:— “in the following manner, namely:— (i) where such motor vehicle is a light motor vehicle with fine which shall not be less than one thousand rupees but may extend to two thousand rupees; (ii) where such motor vehicle is a medium goods vehicle or a medium passenger vehicle or a heavy goods vehicle or a heavy passenger vehicle with fine which shall not be less than two thousand rupees, but may extend to four thousand rupees; and (iii) for the second or any subsequent offence under this sub-section the driving licence of such driver shall be impounded as per the provisions of the sub-section (4) of section 206.”. (ii) sub-section (2) shall be omitted. (iii) in sub-section (3), after the word "mechanical", the words "or electronic" shall be inserted. (iv) in sub-section (4), for the word, brackets and figure “sub-section (2)”, the word, brackets and figure “sub-section (1)” shall be substituted. 67.

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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