Motor Vehicle Act, Rules and Transport Regulations
Domain 3 tests the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and Telangana transport rules. Expect fact patterns: an expired licence, over-speeding, drunk driving, an accident or a permit condition.
Core provisions
- Section 3 requires a valid driving licence; Section 4 sets ages (18 for LMV/gearless two-wheeler, 20 for transport vehicles).
- Section 39 registration; Section 56 fitness certificate; Section 66 permit; Section 112 speed limits; Section 129 helmet; Section 146 third-party insurance.
- Section 185 drunk driving: blood alcohol above 30 mg per 100 ml.
- Section 134 duty after an accident: secure medical help and report to police within 24 hours.
Penalties after the 2019 amendment
Driving without licence (Sec 181): ₹5,000. Speeding (Sec 183): ₹1,000 for LMV, ₹2,000 for medium/heavy vehicles. Drunk driving (Sec 185): ₹10,000 and/or up to 6 months for a first offence.
Worked example
A heavy bus driver is checked and found to have 48 mg alcohol per 100 ml blood. The threshold in Section 185 is 30 mg/100 ml, so the excess is 18 mg/100 ml. The correct charge is Section 185, not Section 184 (dangerous driving), because the measurable alcohol level establishes the specific offence. First-offence penalty: ₹10,000 and/or up to six months' imprisonment.
Traps
Do not mix registration (Sec 39) with permit (Sec 66); do not apply Section 185 below 30 mg/100 ml; do not forget the 24-hour accident-report duty; and check whether a state rule or CMVR supplies the detail.