A Bill amending several Legislative Acts of Ukraine, appertaining to improvements in regulating relations in the area of Road Traffic Safety (Reg. No. 1061-5), was Registered in The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Amendments to existing Legislative Acts were called for, as a result of the increasing level of Road Traffic accidents in Ukraine, the figure being far higher than in most other countries of the world. The Explanatory Note to the Bill states that almost 400,000 Road Traffic accidents were recorded in Ukraine over the past ten years, with 63,000 victims and 433,000 receiving injuries of varying severity. The ratio for the number of deaths per 100 accidents is 15-17, exceeding a similar indicator in European countries such as Austria, Germany, Portugal, and Sweden (7-8 times); and Hungary, Denmark, Finland and France (3-4 times).
The Bill aims to create safer conditions for road users, ensure the safety of and preserve life of those users, and improve the effectiveness of influence on the discipline of road users by means of clear-cut penalty measures for road offences, and provide for the appropriate level of realization of rulings in administrative cases pertaining to Road Traffic issues.
The Bill seeks to improve the effectiveness of the operation carried out by personnel of The State Motor Licensing and Inspection Department of The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and Courts, as regards judicial trials on violation of Traffic Rules, and also the discipline of road users.
The Bill proposes to establish fines for violations, averaging 85-100 Hryvnias. It envisages much greater responsibility for severe Traffic Rules violations. For instance, a fine for driving through a prohibitive traffic signal will be 170-204 Hryvnias, whereas a fine for a Drink Driving offence will be 1360-2550 Hryvnias.
The penalties for the major part of Traffic Rule violations will be made by Officers of special rank, ie Inspector, Divisional Chief, etc, of The State Motor Licensing and Inspection Department.
In cases of severe and regular violations of Traffic Rules (driving whilst under the influence of alcohol and drugs, thus causing a traffic accident, etc), the decision on whether to take away a driving license or issue a large fine, will only be taken by the Court.
The Bill proposes to introduce a mechanism to control systematic violations of Traffic Rules. Penalty Points will be added to a driver´s licence under a procedure set out in The Administrative Offence Code of Ukraine. Where an individual has committed violations against the Traffic Rules totalling 30 or more Penalty Points, the offender will be judicially deprived of his/her driving license, after which the points will be zeroed.
The record of penalty points issued will be carried out using a special automated system, to be created by The State Motor and Licensing Department. In the first stage, this record will be provided using the driver's license and penalty tickets.
The Bill suggests that the Police have the right to take away a driver's licence prior to the Court's judgement, in those cases where depriving the individual of his/her right to drive a vehicle is envisaged by The Administrative Offence Code of Ukraine.
Also recommended is the introduction and use of automated cameras providing photographic and video recordings of offences, for the purpose of obtaining fully-fledged evidence in support of Traffic Rule violations.
The Bill envisages the cohesion of several legislative acts, terms definition, and amendments to provisions that cause difficulties when put into day to day practical use.
The passing of this Bill must reduce the incidence of accidents on Ukraine's streets and roads; lessen the workload of the Courts, related to imposing administrative sanctions for Traffic Rule violations; and increase the remuneration from fines imposed for Traffic Rule violations due to the creation of a system to monitor such payments.