Section 190: Using vehicle in unsafe condition. - (1) Any person who drives or causes or allows to be driven in any public place a motor vehicle or trailer while the vehicle or trailer has any defect, which such person knows of or could have discovered by the exercise of ordinary care and which is calculated to render the driving of the vehicle a source of danger to persons and vehicles using such place, shall be punishable with fine [of one thousand five hundred rupees] or, if as a result of such defect an accident is caused causing bodily injury or damage to property, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine [of five thousand rupees], or with both [and for a subsequent offence shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with a fine of ten thousand rupees for bodily injury or damage to property]

Q: What does Section 190 of The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (MVA) deal with?

Section 190 MVA pertains to "Using vehicle in unsafe condition. - (1) Any person who drives or causes or allows to be driven in any public place a motor vehicle or trailer while the vehicle or trailer has any defect, which such person knows of or could have discovered by the exercise of ordinary care and which is calculated to render the driving of the vehicle a source of danger to persons and vehicles using such place, shall be punishable with fine [of one thousand five hundred rupees] or, if as a result of such defect an accident is caused causing bodily injury or damage to property, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine [of five thousand rupees], or with both [and for a subsequent offence shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with a fine of ten thousand rupees for bodily injury or damage to property]". It is part of the The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a legislation enacted by the Parliament of India. Section 190 of The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (MVA) prescribes using vehicle in unsafe condition. - (1) Any person who drives or causes or allows to be driven in any public place a motor vehicle or trailer while the vehicle or trailer has any defect, which such person knows of or could have discovered by the exercise of ordinary care and which is calculated to render the driving of the vehicle a source of danger to persons and vehicles using such place, shall be punishable with fine [of one thousand five hundred rupees] or, if as a result of such defect an accident is caused causing bodily injury or damage to property, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine [of five thousand rupees], or with both [and for a subsequent offence shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with a fine of ten thousand rupees for bodily injury or damage to property]. As verified on 19 May 2026.

Q: Is Section 190 MVA still in force?

Yes, Section 190 of the The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 is currently in force across the Republic of India.

Q: What is धारा 190 MVA?

धारा 190 MVA is the Devanagari Hindi reference for Section 190 of the The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Section 190 of The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (MVA) prescribes using vehicle in unsafe condition. - (1) Any person who drives or causes or allows to be driven in any public place a motor vehicle or trailer while the vehicle or trailer has any defect, which such person knows of or could have discovered by the exercise of ordinary care and which is calculated to render the driving of the vehicle a source of danger to persons and vehicles using such place, shall be punishable with fine [of one thousand five hundred rupees] or, if as a result of such defect an accident is caused causing bodily injury or damage to property, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine [of five thousand rupees], or with both [and for a subsequent offence shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with a fine of ten thousand rupees for bodily injury or damage to property]. As verified on 19 May 2026.

Q: What is Dhara 190 MVA?

Dhara 190 MVA is the Roman Hindi reference for Section 190 of the The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. "Dhara" means "Section" in Hindi. Section 190 of The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (MVA) prescribes using vehicle in unsafe condition. - (1) Any person who drives or causes or allows to be driven in any public place a motor vehicle or trailer while the vehicle or trailer has any defect, which such person knows of or could have discovered by the exercise of ordinary care and which is calculated to render the driving of the vehicle a source of danger to persons and vehicles using such place, shall be punishable with fine [of one thousand five hundred rupees] or, if as a result of such defect an accident is caused causing bodily injury or damage to property, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine [of five thousand rupees], or with both [and for a subsequent offence shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with a fine of ten thousand rupees for bodily injury or damage to property]. As verified on 19 May 2026.

Q: How to cite Section 190 of The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988?

Cite as: "Section 190, The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (MVA)" in legal briefs. For academic writing, use the BlueBook format: The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, § 190 (India).

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(2)

Any person who drives or causes or allows to be driven, in any public place a motor vehicle, which violates the standards prescribed in relation to road safety, control of noise and air-pollution, shall be punishable for the first offence with [imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with both and he shall be disqualified for holding licence for a period of three months] and for any second or subsequent offence with [imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with both].

(3)

Any person who drives or causes or allows to be driven, in any public place a motor vehicle which violates the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder relating to the carriage of goods which are of dangerous or hazardous nature to human life, shall be punishable for the first offence [with a fine of ten thousand rupees and he shall be disqualified for holding licence for a period of three months], or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with both, and for any second or subsequent offence with fine [of twenty thousand rupees], or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with both.

[191. ***]

[192. Using vehicles without registration. - (1) Whoever drives a motor vehicle or causes or allows a motor vehicle to be used in contravention of the provisions of section 39 shall be punishable for the first offence with a fine which may extend to five thousand rupees but shall not be less than two thousand rupees for a second or subsequent offence with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees but shall not be less than five thousand rupees or with both:

Provided that the Court may, for reasons to be recorded, impose a lesser punishment.

(2)

Nothing in this section shall apply to the use of a motor vehicle in an emergency for the conveyance of persons suffering from sickness or injuries or for the transport of food or materials to relieve distress or of medical supplies for a like purpose:

Provided that the person using the vehicle reports about the same to the Regional Transport Authority within seven days from the date of such use.

(3)

The Court to which an appeal lies from any conviction in respect of an offence of the nature specified in sub-section (1), may set aside or vary any order made by the Court below, notwithstanding that no appeal lies against the conviction in connection with which such order was made.

[Explanation. - Use of a motor vehicle in contravention of the provisions of section 56 shall be deemed to be a contravention of the provisions of section 39 and shall be punishable in the same manner as provided in sub-section (1).]