Africa-Press – Namibia. THE CRASH FATALITY rate in Namibia was recently estimated to be 23,9 per 100 000 population. Such a high rate of road deaths coupled with the high number of traffic violations and infringements, exacts serious social and economic stress on the country.
Hence the need to critically examine and understand factors driving this trend, to put stringent measures in place. Worldwide, demerit points have been implemented in countries like Australia, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, America and South Africa.
The purpose of the system of demerit points in traffic law enforcement is to distinguish between abusive and regular road traffic offenders, and those who comply with traffic rules.
Demerit points are awarded for infringements that pose a threat to road safety. It is also designed to identify, deter and penalise repeat traffic offenders, while streamlining the legal process, to expedite the collection of traffic fine revenue and to impose an ominous administrative burden on those who stand accused of violating traffic law.
In essence, the implementation of the demerit points system seeks to change the behaviour of motorists and its overarching goal of road safety. Many countries have adopted a penalty point or demerit point system, under which a person’s driving licence is cancelled or suspended based on the number of points accumulated by them over a period of time due to traffic offenses or infringements committed by them in that period.
The demerit points schemes of each jurisdiction vary. These demerit schemes are usually in addition to fines or other penalties which may be imposed for a particular offence or infringement, or after a prescribed number of points have been accumulated.
Each driver starts with no points on their licence. When the prescribed point threshold is reached, the person’s licence would usually be automatically cancelled or suspended. Points may either be added or subtracted, depending on the rules of each scheme.
A major offence may lead to more than the maximum allowed points being issued. Points are typically applied after a driving offence has been committed, and the licence cancelled for a defined time, or after other conditions are met.
If the total exceeds the threshold, the offender may be disqualified from driving for a time, or the driving licence may be revoked. After the licence suspension period has expired, the previous demerit points are cancelled.
Importantly, demerit points are allocated to your record if you are found guilty of committing either an infringement or an offence. Therefore, motorists must ensure that they never exceed 12 points (for example), or their driving licences will either be suspended or cancelled. South Africa has, for instance enacted what is called the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offenses (AARTO) Act, 1998.
As the new ‘administrator’ of the National Road Traffic Act, AARTO seeks to introduce a points merit system and to discourage motorists from disobeying the law by putting their privilege to drive in jeopardy if they flout the law. It is also responsible for the administration, collection and adjudication of fines related to road traffic offenses.
In some countries, demerit points will be allocated for traffic fines up to a maximum of 12 points. As soon as 12 points are exceeded, your driver’s licence will be suspended for a period of three months for each point mentioned.
So, if you have for instance 10 points on your driver’s licence and you receive a fine coupled with five demerit points, your licence to operate a vehicle will be suspended for a period of nine months. Should your licence be suspended for a third time, it will be revoked and you may never again drive a vehicle, unless you again apply for and are issued with a licence.
The demerit points system is not solely about punishment but has intentions to ensure compliance and change of road user behaviour. This system also sees the introduction of driver rehabilitation programmes for habitual infringers, where infringers who have their licences cancelled must attend rehabilitation programmes before being allowed back in the driving seat.
Paying fines is compulsory but it wouldn’t take away the demerit points you have accumulated. But for every three months that you don’t break any rules, one point will be deducted from your record, even when your licence has been suspended, provided no further violations are committed.
If your driving licence is suspended three times, it will automatically be cancelled. After sitting out a long disqualification period determined by a judge, you will have to redo your learner’s and your driving licence.
In summary, the demerit points system being utilised in those countries to monitor, track and improve the road behaviour of drivers was conceived and implemented as part of a transformative traffic management system, which has contributed immensely to road safety through the mechanisms of prevention, selection and correction.
Researchers where the system has been implemented, unanimously endorsed the effectiveness of the demerit points system in influencing driver behaviour to adhere to traffic regulations, and they are abundantly telling the world that some of the studies reported the subsequent reduction of up to 20% in roadway crash facilities. Namibia, the ball is in your court.
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