UAE- Make traffic fines a better form of deterrence: paper
(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
ABU DHABI, 3rd August, 2016 (WAM) -- Making it mandatory for expatriates to pay their traffic fines before leaving the country is basically sound, as it is not unheard of that some people with unpaid fines are not returning from foreign trips. However, the plan put forward by the Federal Traffic Council seems to put more focus on fine payment instead of tackling the problem of unsafe driving, according to an editorial in today's edition of The National.
"At the moment, many motorists are only aware that they have speeding and other fines when they renew their vehicle registration each year. Road-safety experts say more regular reminders to pay fines will result in better driving habits," the editorial says.
If this is the case, then it would make sense to issue more regular reminders about the obligation to pay fines to all road users, not just to those drivers who are leaving the country.
"The overall standard of driving will not improve unless punitive measures are more swiftly and broadly applied," it continues. "To this end, Abu Dhabi Emirate's decision to remove the 50 percent discount on the cost of traffic fines was a good move. The next step could be to make it mandatory for all those who violate road safety rules to pay immediately after, or within a few days of, the offence."
The paper quotes Dr. Britta Lang, a psychologist at British consultancy Transport Research Laboratory UAE, as saying that this would help drivers better see the link between their bad driving habits and their consequences. The theory is that having to make an immediate effort to pay the fine will make even those who can afford the penalty to think twice before committing traffic offences.
The paper also suggests that confusion over speed limits ought to be addressed in any review of the system. "The buffer that allows drivers to exceed the posted limit by up to 20 kph creates confusion for many people, especially newcomers and tourists who may be confused as to why other drivers are trying to overtake when they are driving at the speed limit."
The way to solve this, the editorial concludes, would be to remove the excessively large buffer and to have clear signage stating the upper speed limit. "There should also be renewed efforts to tackle other causes of accidents, such as sudden swerving, failure to observe a safe distance between cars, poor lane discipline and red-light jumping, which are not always detected by speed cameras. None of this can be done without the visible presence of traffic police on our roads."
WAM/Moran
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