Bill Proposed to Criminalise Reckless Driving Following Fatal Accidents

A bill has been submitted to parliament seeking to criminalise reckless driving, following a recent rise in fatal road accidents.

The bill, proposed by opposition MP Meekail Ahmed Nasym from the Galolhu Dhekunu constituency, aims to amend section 121 of the Penal Code to make driving without proper care and attention—resulting in public panic—a criminal offence.

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I have today submitted an amendment to the Penal Code to specifically include motorised land vehicles under the reckless endangerment category. I hope this strengthens the existing mechanism for accountability in such cases. pic.twitter.com/8DnbPFrd2P— Meekail Naseem (@MickailNaseem) July 19, 2025

In his letter to parliament, MP Meekail stated that the current legal framework does not sufficiently address dangerous driving that causes public alarm but does not necessarily lead to death or property damage. He stressed the need to strengthen legal measures to curb reckless behaviour on the roads.

Currently, under the Motor Vehicles Act, legal action is limited to cases where reckless and negligent driving results in death or property damage. In other cases, punishment is typically a fine or temporary suspension of the driver’s license.

MP Meekail’s proposal would introduce an additional clause to section 121, traditionally focused on offences related to undue influence in elections. His amendment would extend the scope to include actions such as reckless driving, treating them as criminal offences if they cause panic or endanger public safety—even in the absence of physical harm or property damage.

The proposal follows a series of recent traffic accidents, including a tragic incident last week that claimed the life of a 17-year-old boy.