09 June 2004 03:59
Police Seek Tougher Road Laws
The Interior Ministry is calling for tighter regulations and tougher penalties to cope with a rising tide of traffic
accident-related deaths.
Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Chekalin told parliamentary hearings on road safety Monday that existing road
safety legislation was too liberal and "does not encourage irresponsible motorists to keep to the road
rules."
Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov backed the call, citing Interior Ministry figures showing that 35,000
people died in traffic accidents last year, 7.1 percent more than in 2002.
"Acting legislation on road safety does not meet current needs," Mironov said, Interfax reported.
Chekalin called on lawmakers to bring back the point system, abolished to many motorists' relief two years ago,
under which 15 penalty points meant the loss of a driving license, and said the system worked successfully in nearly all
countries in Europe.
He also called for tougher penalties for serious and repeat offenders and called for drunk drivers to automatically
lose their licenses.
"Now only one in six drunk drivers has his license suspended," Chekalin said.
He also recommended tougher penalties for driving 40 kilometers an hour above speed limits, running a red light or
refusing to undergo a medical exam requested by a traffic policeman.
Chekalin also called for the closure of hundreds of small privately owned driving schools, which he said lack the
resources and cars to provide students with enough driving classes.
But the return of stricter penalties for traffic offenses could create more opportunities for bribe-takers in the
ranks of the traffic police, said Leonid Olshansky, a prominent lawyer and advocate for motorists' rights, the
Utro.ru web site reported.
Drivers reluctant to pay high fines or risk losing their license would be tempted to pay traffic policemen to settle
the issue, he said.
Mironov told the hearings that he favored a new system to ensure control over how traffic fines were collected.
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[The Moscow Times] |
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