In a first for the national capital, the Delhi Police have started registering FIRs against motorists caught driving on the wrong side of the road. The stricter enforcement has been implemented because officers report that driving on the wrong side of the road has increasingly put road users at risk, according to a report by the Indian Express.
Two such cases have already been registered, one at the Delhi Cantonment police station on January 3 and another at the Kapasera police station earlier this week. Both FIRs have been filed under Section 281 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (rash driving on a public way) along with provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. Traffic assistant sub-inspectors placed at the concerned traffic circles logged the complaints.
Why are the FIRs being used now?
Officials stated that wrong-side driving has increasingly become a severe safety hazard and is now among the persistent reasons for crashes. Data shared by the traffic authorities, as per the Indian Express report, indicates a major jump in such cases. In 2025, a total of 305,843 cases were filed in comparison to 249,210 cases in 2024.
Officers mentioned that the practice risks the life of not only the violator but also of other commuters, especially in the case of busy routes.
One of the FIRs describes a case in Delhi Cantonment where a vehicle was speeding and was coming from the wrong way. The traffic officer mentioned. “ I was managing the traffic on the road coming from T-1, when a high vehicle was coming from the wrong side, negligently and carelessly, due to which people had a lot of difficulty in driving there…I informed about this on 112, after which the police reached the spot,” as quoted by the Indian Express.
Police stated that the driver failed to show a license and insurance documents. In the Kapashera case, the accused reportedly accepted that he was trying to avoid a jam and was driving “recklessly and at a high speed” while using the wrong side.
What has changed under the new rule?
Until now, wrong-side driving largely led to a challan of Rs 5,000. However, when an FIR is lodged under BNS Section 281, the offence carries a possible jail term of up to six months along with a fine of Rs 1,000 or both. The concerned vehicle will also be seized. Although the offence is bailable, the officials stated that the process itself is likely to discourage such acts.
When will an FIR be filed in cases of road violations?
It has been clarified that FIR will not be lodged in every case. Instead, FIRs will be registered in cases where the violations pose a risk to public safety. Delhi Traffic believes that the possibility of strict penal action will discourage motorists from using the wrong lane simply to avoid congestion or to save time.