Low Traffic Fines Give
License to Reckless
Driving
Driving in Costa Rica
can be challenge as bad
and reckless drivers
could care less of the
rules of the road and
aren't to worried about
being fined, mainly due
to the antiquated Ley de
Tránsito (traffic laws)
with fines so low that
most drivers see it as
"the cost of doing
business".
In addition, the current
traffic laws do not
penalize repeat
offenders. A driver can
be fined 20, 30, 50
times for the same
infraction, like not
respecting a red light,
and the cost of the fine
is the same.
That fact is supported
by the numbers compiled
by the Policía de
Tránsito, a country with
1 million licenses and
415.000 traffic tickets
issued annually or th
equivalent of 1.137
fines issued each and
every day.
According to the Consejo
de Seguridad Vial (Cosevi)
in the last 12 years the
driver with the most
infractions was with 187
while the most innocent
received 148 on a list
of top ten drivers with
the most tickets,
representing 1.617
tickets among them.
Topping the list is a
taxi driver from
Alajuela with four
tickets for drunk
driving, four more for
not respecting a traffic
light, 10 without the
vehicular inspection
certificate, among
others. accumulating 18
tickets in the past year
alone.
According to Germán
Marín, director de la
Policía de Tránsito, "a
man with such a record
should not be driving,
because he is a risk to
himself and those around
him".
The problem is not just
bad drivers but the
amount of the fine.
The current fines range
between ¢2.000 and
¢20.000 colones, set in
1993.
Today a ¢20.000 colones
(us$40) fine for drunk
driving is a joke as it
is most cases less than
the cost of filling a
tank of gasoline. (A 45
litre gasoline tank at
today's gasoline prices
cost ¢24.800)
Vivian Martín, vice
minister of Transportes
and president of the
Cosevi, calls today's
fines "ridiculous",
adding that if the fines
were higher driving
habits would certainly
change.
"A person that commits
murder known that the
sanction is 35 years in
jail, enough to inhibit
the intent. The sanction
to drive drunk should
provoke the same effect,
that is being tough
enough to inhibit
drinking and driving",
said Martín.
Currently, once a fine
is paid, it is all
forgotten. The record of
the fine is erased and
the driving record is
clean.
Transit officials are
banking their hopes of
better drivers, less
accidents and deaths on
the road on the reforms
to the traffic laws that
is currently stalled in
the Legislative
Assembly, waiting
approval of the
legislators.
The Miniserio de Obras
Públicas y Transportes (MOPT)
presented the proposal
to the lawmakers 14
months ago and the
deadline of having it
approved has been
extended time and time
again as legislators get
hung on changes after
changes and without
approving anything. |
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