Traffic fines have skyrocketed in the last two years

Santo Domingo, DR.
Between 2017 and June 2022, the infraction processing department of the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation (Digesett) registered 5,920,860 fines, of which 2,520,996 were applied in the last 18 months.

These data reveal that at least 43% of the infractions were audited between January 2021 and June 2022, and the remaining 57% were distributed between 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.

Similarly, the statistics allow identifying how the number of transgressions registered and sanctioned increases with the passing of the years, only except for 2020, the popularly called “year of the pandemic” of Covid-19, and in which the Dominican Republic, like other countries, restricted the mobility of citizens.

According to Digesett data, obtained through Portal Único de Solicitud de Solicitud de Acceso a la Información Pública (SAIP), in the six months concluded of this year, 995,539 fines were imposed; in 2021, 1,525,457 and 626,606 for 2020.

Meanwhile, for 2019 and 2018, 1,070,758 and 985,668 traffic violations were audited, respectively, and another 716,832 in 2017.

These figures sustain that from 2017 to 2020, between 1,700 and almost 3,000 people were fined per day, and in the following years, increased to 4,000 and 5,500 daily.

The most frequent
Of the 5,920,860 fines applied in the aforementioned period, 1,524,566 correspond to failure to wear a helmet while driving, 523,821 for disrespecting traffic light signals, 485,678 for not carrying a license or having it expired, another 422,651 for not having insurance or having it expired and 404,258 for ignoring the use of seat belts.

Likewise, 269,158 were registered for parking in a prohibited place, 247,084 for driving in the opposite direction, 235,864 for distractions while driving, 227,603 for prohibited turns, and 171,514 for obstructing traffic.

Likewise, 113,568 and 101,917 were applied for exceeding the maximum speed limit and not having a license plate, respectively.

Zones
The zones that concentrate the highest number of these sanctions for non-compliance with Law 241-67, 63-17, and the regulations of the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (Intrant) are those of Greater Santo Domingo and provinces such as Santiago, with 315,841 tickets registered; La Vega, with 104,739; and Puerto Plata, with 86,150.

Also listed are San Francisco de Macorís, with 148,964; La Romana, with 148,964; San Pedro de Macorís, with 117,624; Baní, with 132,790; 119,243 in San Cristóbal; 90,875 in San Juan and in Barahona some 71,612.

Not everything is audited.
Even though the figures are growing, dozens of infractions in the country are overlooked.

On this matter, the director of the Digesett, General Ramon Peralta, informed a few weeks ago that the members of this institution “are not enough” to fulfill all their functions.

Peralta revealed that the 3,922 members that form part of the institution are insufficient for the efforts that must be made to control traffic and that, he calculates, an average of 10,000 new agents would be needed.

Transgressions
The statistics allow to identify how the number of transgressions registered and sanctioned increases with the passing of the years, with the exception of 2020, the year popularly called “the year of the pandemic” of Covid-19, and in which the Dominican Republic, like other countries, restricted the mobility of its citizens.