Lack of penalties turns motorists into ‘lawless goats’

Santo Domingo.- An estimated 57% of the drivers on Dominican Republic’s roads don’t have the license to do so, according to the National Strategic Road Safety Plan (2017-2020).

For that reason, the Presidential Commission for Road Safety aims to address the problem in the country with short, medium and long range proposals.

The 140-page document puts emphasis on the percentage of licenses issued vis-à-vis the current ones and the annual renewal processes, which reveal a downward trend. “This trend is highly worrisome, which is closely related to the weakness of the system of penalties and consequences.”

Drivers must meet requirements

Regarding the driver’s license, the Plan recommends a reliable driver’s registry to make sure that the person who has obtained their driving license meet all the requirements and have passed all the tests.

Lawlessness

When Dominicans refer to the perils of driving, the term “chivo sin ley” (lawless goat) is often used to describe that chaos on the country’s roads.