Patna, May 5: Think twice before pressing on the accelerator without a driving licence in your pocket as police in the capital have decided to slap non-bailable arrest warrants on over-speeding motorists in cases of fatal accidents.

“If any driver is involved in a road mishap amounting to a person’s death, the driver will be booked under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code instead of the earlier Section 304-A,” traffic superintendent of police (SP) Chandrika Prasad told The Telegraph today.

Taking note of Friday’s school bus mishap near Sheikhpura Mor — in which many students were injured — the officer added that schools have been asked to furnish details of bus drivers for police verification.

“A fine of Rs 1,500 will be slapped on those caught driving without a licence,” Prasad said. According to Section 304-A, which amounts to causing death by negligence and whoever causes death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term that may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both. The offence under this section is cognisable and bailable.

Section 304, which amounts to punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, states that whoever commits culpable homicide not amounting to murder, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years. The offender should also be liable to fine, if the act by which the death is caused is done with an intention of causing death or of causing such bodily injury that is likely to cause death. The offence under the section is cognisable and non-bailable.

An officer said at present a fine of Rs 500 is slapped on those driving without a licence. “A repetition of the offence amounts to fine of Rs 1,000. “What do the police or the tra-nsport officer have to say about touts? They provide licences without any driving test in lieu of money,” he said.