Law Reform To Increase Traffic Fines Ready; Will Also Include Point System
In response to the high traffic accident and mortality rate, the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT) announced yesterday, that in addition to raising fines, it will also institute a point system for drivers.

MOPT minister, Karla González, announced that the legislation to go before the Legislative Assembly will include a method where points are assigned to a drivers license and lost depending on the offence.

Sixty points is what each driver will start off with and it reaches zero, the license is suspended for tow years. The suspension is immediate and increases to four years for the second suspension and ten years on the third.

The point system was not explained, however, driving under the influence or street racing, will be an automatic 60 points, the minister assured.

The use of a point system is widely used in North America.

The proposed reforms to the law "Ley de Tránsito" is being proposed to respond to the "drastic measures necessary" to reduce traffic fatalities, said González.

The reform will also hit drivers in the pocket book as fines will increases up to 10 or more times the current. For example, failing to stop at a red light now costs between ¢10.000 and ¢20.000 colones (us$19.40 and us$38.80). Under the new legislation, the fine would increase to ¢234.000 colones (us$454.00), 30% of which will go to the Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI), the child welfare agency.

The current fines are based on a reform of the law in 1993.

Another change included in the legislation is the mandatory use of seatbelts by all passengers in a vehicle, including a taxi. Currently, only the front passengers must wear the seatbelt. However, a vehicle will not pass the annual vehicular inspection if it does not have working seat belts for all passengers.

Minister González assures that the proposal will be in the Legislature this week and could be given priority and passed before the legislature goes for the Christmas holiday recess.

"It is now time to ask God and the legislators to approve the law, hopefully before this government's term is up. I hope they (the legislators) will move more quickly than their pace with the TLC", said president Oscar Arias in a humorous tone.

Arias added that the changes are to generate a change of attitude in drivers and fines alone will not deter those who insist on wreaking havoc on the roads.

Hitting hard the pocket book. Some of the proposed changes to the fines:

- ¢364.000 for street racing. The current fine is ¢26.000.

- ¢260.000 for a minor child not using their seatbelt. The current fine is ¢13.000.

- ¢234.000 for driving under the influence of alcohol. The current fine is ¢13.000.

- ¢104.000 driving with an expired drivers license. The current fine is ¢2.600.

All the offences above will also include a loss of points.