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Driving offences penalty regime and fines in slow lane, but traffic tragedies rising
Hundreds more have lost their lives this year and road traffic tragedies are on track to surpass the entire total for last year, but the driver demerits points system and increased fines are in the slow lane, grinding through officialdom.
In the first six months, 140 more people have perished in contrast to the total deaths for all of last year. Every month this year 10 people have lost their lives because of drunk drivers and riders.
The demerit points system will come into effect by the beginning of next year, a senior Transport Ministry official said.
Transport Ministry Secretary Nihal Somaweera told the Sunday Times that amendments to the Motor Traffic Act involve many technical features and institutions including the judiciary and the police have to become familiar with the system. “These issues have not yet been discussed.’’
He expects to deal with the system’s complicated electronic features. “And then there are matters relating to the old licence which will have to be replaced. It is going to take some time,” he said.
But, he said that at least it will be implemented manually for a start.
As for revised traffic fines, Mr Somaweera said it will take at least six months.
“The approval by the cabinet will be handed over to the Legal Draftsman Department next week and the drafting of the bill will take some time. It will have to then be handed over to the Attorney General and will go to the Cabinet again and ultimately will be presented to Parliament.’’
As the bureaucrats struggle, human tragedies involving motorists and bike riders are rising.
Police Traffic Department statistics show that 833 drink-driving accidents in 2016 caused 60 deaths, while as of end June this year, 678 accidents and 63 deaths were caused due to drunken driving.
Scenes from two accidents that ocurred on the same day last week in Matara. Pix by Krishan Jeevaka Jayaruk
Meanwhile, 1,531 traffic accidents caused by reckless drivers snuffed out the lives of 143 people last year. But, as of June 30 this year, 1,290 accidents were caused by reckless drivers, who claimed the lives of 186 people.
Another area of concern is overtaking from the wrong side. Statistics show overtaking caused 2,787 accidents last year resulting in 143 deaths while for the first six months this year, 2,312 accidents were caused due to overtaking resulting in 179 deaths.
Last year 1,370 people died in 19,916 accidents. In the first six months of this year alone accidents have have increased to 18,980 and caused the deaths of 1,510 people.
DIG Silva said that although the fines have increased there is no change in the ways they are collected.
He welcomed the demerit system and the use of technologies and tools that improve detection of drunk drivers for example.
He said tools are needed to detect drug driving and testing equipment has been requested.
The chairman of the National Council for Road Safety, Sisira Kodagoda, expects the demerit system by the end of December, or early next year.
“Technical difficulties are still being discussed and there is progress in minimising the technical difficulties,’’ he said.
One issue is unregistered drivers. “We are trying to prepare a list with the help of data from local government authorities.’’
As for higher traffic fines, Mr Kodagoda said that motorcyclists are appealing against the penalties saying they can’t pay.
But Mr Kodagoda said there was public support. He hopes that heavy fines will help reduce human tragedies. “We cannot stop accidents completely, but we are hoping that it will reduce the number of accidents.’’
