Clunk-click saves life

Heartening to note indeed is the authorities' resolve to educate the Sri Lankan motorist to reduce motor vehicle accidents by introducing productive and effective measures linking to modern technology.

Not so long ago newspaper headlines divulged a programme which is still in infant stages but when finalised will be based on a computer network linking the Police Department, the Judiciary and the Department of Motor Traffic.

When the programme is fully computerised at the Department of Motor Traffic, the green light will be given to the Police Department to implement a 'point-based-system' on errant drivers. The number of points on a driver's licence will depend on the nature of the offence one commits. When the full programme is unveiled and becomes totally operative the onus will fall on the Police Department to ensure that no stone is unturned in implementing the law to the very letter.

According to available records so far, different types of traffic offences such as, dangerous driving, speeding and overtaking from the left will result in drivers having their driving licences suspended for one year. Whether it carries a simultaneous fine from a Magistrate Court is unclear but assumed that such impositions cannot be enforced without a Court Order.

At the present infant stages of this programme still being written by IT professionals, the Police Department will liaise with the Department of Motor Traffic in monitoring various types of traffic offences by a special scrutinising team, detecting and registering them on a particularly designed questionnaire created for this very purpose

Driving schools

New regulations will apply to all regular driving licence holders. In this regard the Licensed Driving Schools and their Instructors will have to be thorough 100 percent to inculcate the traffic law into the minds of their learner drivers. Today, it is not a rare scene to observe a Driving School vehicle with an instructor sitting next to the driver allowing the learner to proceed at roundabouts without giving way to the motorists approaching from the right! Good or bad drivers are born out of Driving Schools and in this respect it is equally important to monitor Driving Schools on an annual basis to double check on the qualifications of their 'Instructors'.

It proved to be a cloudy area in trying to investigate how and what qualifications are required to register and operate a 'Driving School' in Sri Lanka, and what credentials a driving instructor should possess. In Western countries Driving Instructors are those who have gone through a stiff driving test to be graded as 'Advanced Drivers'. The author's attempts to learn the nitty-gritty of the procedure of Driving School registration, operation and appointment of instructors became futile after exhaustive enquiries with the Department of Commissioner of Motor Traffic when the enquiry was transferred from pillar to post within the RMV and finally an additional commissioner simply saying, "can you speak to Mr......... about this....... "! Such level of diligence only goes to show the commitment of those who hold responsibility, despite the 'efficiency' label the RMV carries!

Table of identified violations

However, according to the new programme, a regular driving licence holder who accumulates between 18 and 23 points within 24 months will receive a warning from the Commissioner-General of Motor Traffic and those who exceed 23 points will have the licence suspended for a year.

Series of motor traffic violations so far identified for the pursuance of the Motor Traffic Law under the new programme are as follows:

Accidents, a heavy burden on economy

Failing to take action to avoid an accident - ( Points 6); Failing to obey the oral commands or hand signals given by a policeman or a traffic warden (6); Careless and dangerous driving (8); Negligent driving on the highway (8); Driving a vehicle with excessive smoke emission (6); Failing to stop a vehicle after an accident or not furnishing information related to the accident (10); Using equipment which exceeds normal sound limits of vehicles (6); Using vehicles with noisy engines and ear piercing horns (6 ) - this will come as a God's send to stop irritating sounding horns of private buses; Using dangerous vehicles which can cause an accident, damage to property and/or harm any person (10); Exceeding speed limits (6); Failing to report an accident to the nearest Police station after an accident (10); Failing to keep the right side of the road to pedestrians (2); Overtaking other vehicles or driving a vehicle without having a clear view of the road ahead (6); Overtaking at a bend, junction or at any other sensitive place where overtaking is taboo or crossing single or double white lines (4); Failing to overtake from the right side (4); Failing to stop at a zebra pedestrian crossing (6); Failing to give way for vehicles coming from right (4); Reversing a vehicle on the highway for a long distance without a reasonable purpose (4), Rider or passenger on a motor bicycle failing to wear safety helmets (4); Failure to obey the road signs (6); Using hand held communication equipment while driving (4); Front passenger or driver failing to wear seat belts (3).

However, when safety aspect is discussed, especially with the wearing of seat belts becoming compulsory ONLY for a certain category of vehicles (with English number plates) the million dollar question would be whether the lives of those who travel in vehicles other than bearing 'English Number. plates' are not valuable?

To make it fair and square, some suggest that the owners and users of motor vehicles which do not have such safety harnesses should be given a probation period to fit seat belts rather than making it an open ended excuse for some. After all, it is human life we are talking about and should there be any discrimination in a statue book to start with?

The new online programme with a point structure will give the Traffic Police added responsibilities to ensure that the Law is executed diligently and effectively.

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