Bad drivers beware! The Penalty Points System has become reality, following the adoption of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, which provides for the application of the Penalty Points System to driving licences, payment of fixed penalties, and for lane discipline on a dual carriageway. The Bill was voted in the National Assembly on Tuesday 17 July 2012. Penalty points attributed to an offence will remain effective for a period of three years and when accumulated over a period of time, may lead to the suspension and eventual cancellation of a driver’s licence if the driver is a repeat offender.
The introduction of such legislation is in line with Government’s strategy to increase road safety and to comply with international norms and subsequently reduce casualties on the roads. The authorities are of the view that the penalty point system will trigger the right mindset among drivers so that they become more cautious and diligent. Government is determined to take bold and severe actions against those defaulters who have no respect for human life. This Bill comes a long way in making the vision of a safe road, a reality.
The main objectives of the Act are to make better provision for the application of a penalty points system to driving licences and the payment of fixed penalties. It also provides for lane discipline on a dual carriageway and other related matters. The introduction of penalty points in Mauritius implies that drivers will have to exercise caution when using the roads; otherwise they will have to bear the consequences.
Henceforth, drivers who do not learn from their mistakes and persistently commit road traffic offences will consequently be disqualified from driving for a period of not less than six months and may also lose their driving licence. With the introduction of the penalty point system, drivers failing to observe the highway code will be severely reprimanded.
For example, many drivers do not observe lane discipline and overtake on the left and even on the hard-shoulder, thus causing threat to other road users. Others keep to the right almost throughout their journey along the motorway, preventing other vehicles from overtaking on the right. This practice will no longer be tolerated and will constitute an offence punishable by law and entails penalty points.
The new legislation may cause a driver to have his driving licence suspended for at least six months if he has exceeded the threshold limit of 15 penalty points. On a second disqualification, the driving licence will be cancelled. The system is expected to instill a great sense of responsibility amongst motorists and make the road safer. There will also be better provision for the Photographic Enforcement Device Notice scheme to be aligned with the penalty point system by determining a proper mechanism for allocation and recording of penalty points.
Figures show that 30% of drivers killed on the roads have been driving under the influence of alcohol. There will be zero tolerance for those who take the risk of driving in such conditions. On that score, Government will be coming forward with several projects, namely the Driver Education and Training Centre, the privatisation of the Vehicle Examination Centres, intensive road safety campaigns and procurement of additional speed cameras.
Government’s objective is to bring the fatality rate per 100,000 population down from a relatively high level of 12.2 to a much lower level; if not eliminate it completely.The average number of fatal accidents in Mauritius over the last five years has increased to 150 as compared to 140 over the preceding five years. Furthermore, it is reported that road accidents are among the principal causes of death in Mauritius.
The Penalty points system has been successfully implemented in many countries across the world such as the United States of America, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and several European countries. In 2007, 20 of the 27 EU member states had a point system, almost all of them differing from one another because systems vary greatly from one country to another; and adapted to the needs of a particular country. The system has led to a significant reduction in road accident casualties and fatalities in most countries, where there is an effective traffic monitoring system.
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