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| Courtesy LGC |
LGC reports that one fifth of drivers stopped at an end of month police blitz were guilty of traffic offences. They’ve rounded up a bit but in fact did report 417 out of 2315 drivers, 236 of them for speeding - a number which will surprise no one. Fifteen people have been killed in motor vehicle accidents this year, including three pedestrians- one on a crosswalk and two on a city sidewalk. Fatality reports often refer to the driver’s having lost control, which in a country not blessed with black ice must usually imply excessive speed.
There were also 24 drivers charged with being under the influence of alcohol - the legal limit here is .05 - and 54 for driving while talking on a mobile. The mobile use by drivers extremely widespread. Three charged with not wearing a seatbelt. These will have been people in the front seat as back seat passengers are not required to be belted. Expats frequently complain that beginner drivers should be better taught but these offences are obviously not down to ignorance of the law. In the South locals used to say that driving habits were simply “the culture”. Though one assumes that substantial fines would lead to some changes in culture.
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