By Abdullah Bin Bakheet
Al-Riyadh
LAWMAKERS tend to believe that harsh punishments would bring down traffic accidents. This may be true but not it will divide society into different layers in terms of compliance with traffic rules. Wealthy people will take it easy and commit accidents while the poor will pay for it.
What is the best solution to reduce growing numbers of traffic accidents across the country – should we add imprisonment as a punishment or withdraw the license of violators temporarily in the first instance and then permanently?
I believe that these two solutions will contribute to reducing accidents on our roads. But there are some other factors that must be considered. In my opinion a jail sentence should be issued by the court because taking away people’s freedom is a big issue.
People should take the issue of imprisonment seriously because in order to put a person behind bars there should be a court verdict and this calls for strong relations between the Traffic Department and the Justice Ministry.
Traffic courts are essential if we really want to ensure justice while applying punishment on traffic violators. Everywhere when police issue punishment, the defendant is given the right to reject it in the court. A punishment issued by security officers is not be final unless accepted by the individual involved.
People who feel that they have been denied justice and who do not accept the punishment have the right to oppose the punitive action. Traffic officers know about these regulations more than me.
Let’s discuss the issue of withdrawing license from traffic violators. Driving license has the lowest value in the Kingdom and its value is less than the license for groceries and plumbing or for working at the slaughterhouse. You will be able to obtain driving license without any difficulty.
What’s the value of a driving license?
Most of our roads, especially those in the interior, are constructed without proper planning, signs and traffic signals to ensure a smooth flow of vehicles. A true driving license should be accompanied by well-constructed roads with required safety mechanisms. Motorists should stop their vehicles for pedestrians to cross the road safely without fear.
Who among us knows the line for stop? You can see these stop lines in busy areas, internal streets and in front of schools, hospitals and homes of the elderly? Drivers should make sure nobody is on the road before proceeding. You cannot find this stop line in the Kingdom, neither in form nor in concept.
Driving license should teach motorists how to drive their vehicles safely ensuring security and safety of other road users. They should also know the rules and regulations of driving and the license test should include such rules.
Before concluding, I like to propose that the punishment for traffic violations should be equivalent to the violator’s income. This will ensure the rich and poor feel the same pain as a result of traffic fines.
There should be a minimum fine, which should go up considering the violator’s income. A motorist driving a Corolla vehicle should be asked to pay SR1,000 for jumping the red light while the owner of Lamborghini should pay SR100,000.
This is not my opinion alone. Such fines have been imposed in some countries like Switzerland and it has been found very effective in reducing traffic accidents.
