Driving without a driver’s license may soon increase, says a police officer from the education department
“The current form of the points system has already undergone several legal changes. For example, most of us still remember now one point for entering the curfew and the like. The current amendment to the Road Act, which has been in the works for several years, aims to clarify the point system by introducing only three lanes – two, four and six points. But beware, this simplification in some cases brings with it the principle of twice and enough,” Filler.
An example can be a situation according to the police officer, when he drives off at a red “Stop” signal at a traffic light. “It should be mentioned here that it is not red like red. On the one hand, it can be negligent, the driver simply misses the traffic light, or it can be intentional. Most of them are like that, but from the point of view of traffic psychology, this should also be divided into a hard pass at a red light and a pass when the driver relies on passing through the yellow light, and sometimes it just doesn’t work out,” adds Filler.
Five thousand for red
Under the current legislation, the first time you run a red light there is a risk of five points and a financial penalty of up to five thousand crowns. If you run a red light a second time within twelve months, there is a risk of an additional five points, a higher financial penalty of up to seven and a half thousand crowns and a ban on activity for one to six months, with the possibility of requesting the return of the driver’s license after half of this period.
“After, for example, two to three months, the driver can drive again with the remaining two points on his account. I dare say with certainty that such a driver will already be very alert because he is playing a trick. What will the amendment bring in this case? For a red, it won’t be five points, but six – that’s crucial. This change can be tough for some drivers, I know, you’re not supposed to run a red light, but seriously, who hasn’t?” says Filler.
Probationary driver
Among other things, a test driving license is to be a complete novelty. It is based on the Austrian model. It will therefore be possible to start driving school at the age of less than sixteen and to have a group B driver’s license from the age of seventeen. minimum time. Usually it’s a parent. This is actually an extended period of training and supervision even after completing the compulsory driving school. We are finally copying the experience of other European countries with the test driving license. An example can be France, where the introduction of this system reduced the accident rate of novice, young drivers,” comments Filler.
The policemen will have more work
If the amendment were to pass in its current proposed form, there would be more traffic violations that the police officer would deal with at the point of imposing the fine. “Some of these traffic offenses will have a fixed amount of fines, so the duty of the police officer to determine the degree of harmfulness of the action depending on the amount of the fine will no longer apply. For example, exceeding the speed by ten to twenty kilometers per hour, driving without seat belts, riding a motorcycle without a helmet, endangering when crossing from driving to the other lane – strictly fifteen hundred crowns without the possibility of resolving such an offense will be agreed,” Filler lists.
Following the possibility of drivers aged 17 and over to drive personal vehicles under the supervision of a mentor, the police officer will be entitled, in addition to the driver, to check the identity of the mentor, including whether he is under the influence of alcohol or another addictive substance.
“If the amendment passes, and especially the point system amendment, there will certainly be more drivers who will probably drive without a driver’s license. Such a driver, if caught by the police, will be charged with a marginal offence, will most likely not respect the instruction to stop the vehicle and will drive away. Here, adding an important vehicle is a tactical principle for stopping, for example, moving out of the lane in time to stop the vehicle and thus possible injury to the officer,” says Filler, according to whom similar cases are still increasing and will continue to increase. More on the website ps.mppraha.infowhere the conversation with Filler was published in full.
The amendment will affect six million CzechsThe current form of the point system has already undergone many legal changes. However, it is not without its faults. “I believe that, on the one hand, points are imposed on drivers for marginal offenses where only a financial penalty would be sufficient, on the other hand, serious violations of road traffic rules remain without points. As an example, a minor speeding violation (for example by 12 km/h) can be triggered, where the driver is awarded two points. On the other hand, a driver who already causes a traffic accident, for example by not keeping a safe distance, causes damages even for several hundred thousand crowns, will get away with only a fine,” says constable Jiří Filler. On the one hand, there are drivers who may have been responsible for several traffic accidents, but have a clean points record, on the other hand, there are drivers who have not caused any traffic accidents, only minimally exceeded the speed limit and have a record in the points system. “I’m not even talking about breaking the rules, when the body was somehow forgotten, for example, driving a car at a blue light, which the vehicle is not legally allowed to do. However, this is not a single offence, drivers are not given authority for such behavior and according to the amendment they will not be and will not only be subject to financial penalties. Here, the driver should be given the maximum number of points, possibly even a driving ban, due to the social harmfulness of his actions,” says Filler. With the amendment, for the mildest offenses, the upper limit of the fine imposed on the spot is to be reduced from two thousand to fifteen hundred crowns, and this category also includes driving without seat belts. “Now the upper limit is imposed on a case-by-case basis, so basically the amount of fines is being tightened, and the amendment also increases the points from three to four. The role of insurance companies is also important, and when compensating for injuries to a demonstrably unrestrained person, they can reduce or even refuse to pay the compensation,” adds Filler. Very often, new vehicles are equipped with some degree of autonomous driving. In the future, it can therefore be expected that cars will be able to completely or largely take over the driving for humans. Even the law will have to adapt to it. “The aim of the gradual introduction of autonomous car driving is undoubtedly to increase safety and simultaneously increase the comfort of travel. The goal in the area of safety is to limit or even eliminate the human factor, which is almost 100% to blame for traffic accidents. Indeed, the minimum is due to an unforeseen technical fault of the vehicle,” comments Filler, adding: “I think that in this area there is currently a problem of determining legal liability in a traffic accident. Technology is moving forward by leaps and bounds, but the legal environment needs time to set the rules. It is indisputable that technology will not make mistakes as often as a human, but certainly no one can guarantee that, so the legal rules for the use of these systems in cars need to be carefully set.” The newsletter of the city police of the capital city of Prague is published every month. Among its authors is the spokeswoman for the police officers, Irena Seifertová. |