Traffic violations are a constant on Dominican streets

Santiago.- Law No. 63-17 on Mobility, Land Transportation, Traffic, and Road Safety in the Dominican Republic includes a series of regulations that, if respected by citizens and duly enforced by authorities, would reduce the risk of traffic accidents and deaths in the country.

Despite traffic signs, citizens continue to behave like lawless goats. Authorities fail to enforce the rules, let alone educate the population to move away from a culture of constant violations when driving on public roads.

Parking vehicles on sidewalks, over pedestrian crossings, parallel to a two-way street, and within five meters of fire hydrants has become a tawdry practice.  

Likewise, the unnecessary use of horns on public roads has become common, causing unnecessary noise and noise pollution, in clear violation of Article 227 of Law 63-17 on Mobility, Land Transportation, Traffic, and Road Safety of the Dominican Republic.

Any driver who violates this provision will be sanctioned with an acceptable equivalent to one (1) minimum wage of the centralized public sector and a reduction of points on their license as determined by the points regulation. Despite the law stipulating this, it is not enforced in the country.

 The paragraph of this article states, “The use of a horn in urban areas will only be permitted when such a warning is essential to avoid an accident.”

Law 63-17, in its Article 219, also penalizes any person who stands on the roadway or traffic area of ​​a public highway for the purpose of collecting money of any kind, distributing any sort of propaganda, selling or offering for sale products, objects, or articles of any kind, among others.

Unfortunately, agents from the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation (Digesett) only stop and fine drivers for not wearing seatbelts, for talking on cell phones while driving, and motorcyclists for not wearing protective helmets. Additionally, they fine drivers of four-wheeled vehicles who run red lights.

In the country, drivers in both the public and private sectors continue to drive while intoxicated, park in prohibited areas, honk their horns excessively, travel without proper vehicle lights, and motorcyclists mostly drive without helmets, insurance, or licenses, and ride on overpasses, among other violations contemplated by the law that apparently only make sense on paper.