Figures on road and sea traffic offences for 2016 provided by the local Prosecutor’s Office (see Tuesday paper) served as a bit of an eye-opener. In total 5,318 fines were issued, an increase of 894 from the year before.
Interestingly, 3,795 of these were not paid within the regular term and ended up before the judge, which often leads to a heavier penalty. There might be a few instances where someone was wrongly ticketed, but certainly not in more than half the cases.
Among the worrisome results are driving without a licence (955) and/or not being able to show one (604), plus lacking proof of insurance (667) and not paying motor vehicle tax on time (567). This means that more than 2,000 motorists were basically found without coverage, because the latter only applies with a valid licence.
Anybody unfortunate enough to become the victim of an accident caused by such people is thus likely to suffer the consequences. It’s important to note that these are only the ones caught, so the actual number is probably much higher.
Calling on the phone without a “hands-free” device (646) is a real danger not just for the person involved, but to others sharing the public road as well. No mention is made of texting, which is even more hazardous.
It is frequently argued that driving without a seatbelt (1,111) could only hurt the person in question, but that’s not entirely true. After all, being involved in a major crash with a motorist who is seriously injured because he or she was not wearing a safety belt can be quite a traumatic experience.
Driving a car or boat implies a great responsibility for those who choose do so. Proper respect for the rules and consideration for one another are simply prerequisites.
