Driver Improvement Point system to be enforced from January
View(s):In a major move to curb rising road accidents, the Motor Traffic Department will implement a point system for motorists effect from January 1, 2013, covering those who violate road traffic regulations.
Motor Traffic Commissioner General S. H. Harischandra said that the aim is to discourage reckless driving and to create a set of disciplined drivers.
Sri Lankan motorists will face the punishment of a suspension of their driving licences up to one year for violating road traffic regulations and reckless driving under a Driver Improvement Points (DIP) system.
This system will be introduced to tackle motor traffic violations effectively and reduce the number of repeat offenders, he added.
The department will give marks for different traffic offences and exceeding the limit will result in drivers having their driving licenses suspended for up to a year, he revealed.
He said that motorists who accumulated between 18 and 23 points within 24 months would be given a warning by the Commissioner General while those who exceed 23 points would have their licences suspended for a year.
The Commissioner General said there would also be provision for the remission of the period of suspension for offenders following a successful completion of a training programme conducted by the department.
Explaining the implementation methodology of the DIP system, Mr. Harischandra noted that the Traffic Police would send a form indicating the offence, name and the driving licence number of motorist to the department in order to register the marks in their computer system.
All these forms sent by the police will be scanned and stored in the department’s computer system, he added.
This method will be followed during the initial stages of the point system and later the Traffic Police and Motor Traffic Department will be connected online.
According to Police Department sources, the preliminary work of the online system is being formulated and the mode of implementing the online system will be finalised soon.
Mr. Harischandra disclosed that the highest number of 10 points will be accorded to motorists for offences such as failure to stop after an accident on a highway and to furnish relevant information, failure to report an accident to the nearest police station or driving a vehicle that is likely to cause danger or harm to people, property or other vehicles.
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