Experts, former officials praise newly passed draft Traffic Law amendments

AMMAN — Traffic experts and former officials on Monday praised a newly passed set of draft amendments to the traffic law for the year 2023, with Cabinet members calling the move “a step in the right direction” to minimise road accident fatalities in the Kingdom.

On Sunday, the Cabinet approved amendments to the 2008 Traffic Law which stiffened fines and introduced stricter measures against violators.

One of the main amendments praised by experts and former officials was the establishment of a higher council for road safety.

The draft law listed the following entities to be represented in the council: the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Local Administration, Ministry of Transport, the Land Transport Regulatory Commission, the Greater Amman Municipality and two representatives from the private sector.

The council is responsible for approving the national strategy for road safety and its executive plan, coordinating with official and private entities for joint efforts to ensure that duties and responsibilities are fulfilled, studying traffic impact and amending legislation, according to the draft law.

Former minister of transport and former PSD traffic director Jamil Ali Salim Mujahed said that the council will work to implement a long-term road safety strategies in a proper and professional manner.

“Although not all relevant entities are included, one of the council’s main tasks will focus on following up on the implementation of the strategies and plans,” Mujahed told The Jordan Times.

The draft law also increases fines for some violations, such as the fine for using a mobile phone while operating a vehicle, from JD15 to JD50. 

Additionally, running a red light will result in imprisonment for one to two months and a fine of between JD200 and JD300. In case of repeat offences within the span of one year, the penalty will be doubled.

Exceeding the speed limit by 50 km/h will result in motorists being imprisoned for one to three months in addition to a JD100 fine.

Celebratory vehicle processions are also considered traffic violations that carry a penalty ranging from JD50 to JD100 instead of the previous JD30 fine.

 “Although fines were increased, it might not result in the needed awareness among motorists,” Mujahed said.

“We have demanded in the past to include a system in which violating motorists are obliged to pay their fines after one month, rather than waiting for one year, so that they will be reminded of the consequences of their violations,” Mujahed explained.

Last year, Jordan witnessed over 170,000 road accidents, resulting in 562 deaths, according to traffic officials.

In 2021, around 160,000 road accidents occurred, resulting in 589 deaths.

In addition, 11,241 people were injured, including 737 with serious injuries, as a result of the traffic accidents in 2021.

President of the Jordanian Society for the Prevention of Road Accidents, Wafai Mseis, also praised the amendments.

“Introducing laws and stiffening punishments is one effective way of reducing road fatalities in the Kingdom,” Mseis told The Jordan Times.

Other amendments also granted the concerned authorities the power to impound vehicles for over 48 hours, and it extended the maximum period of vehicle confiscation from 24 hours to 30 days, with the exact period to be decided by the relevant authority.

The Chief of the Public Security Directorate (PSD) was also given the power to impound vehicles for two weeks, depending on the type of violation.

PSD personnel now hold the authority to conduct drug and alcohol tests in the case of a driver’s arrest, while the minister and PSD chief are granted the power to suspend a driver’s licence for reasons related to falsifying documents, causing deliberate collisions, accidents caused by negligence that lead to death or disability and driving under the influence.

The minister and PSD chief are also able to withhold the issuance of a driver’s licence as a penalty for driving without a licence or driving with an unqualified licence. 

If violations involve driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving without a licence, or driving with an unqualified licence for another vehicle, the court is prohibited from rescinding an individual’s sentence even if the victimised party chooses to drop charges.

If the court decides to replace imprisonment with a fine, the fine must conform to mandatory minimums in cases in which a court determines a sentence reduction. Likewise, monetary penalties must not be combined.

Sociologist Hussein Al Khozahe said the amendments are of extreme importance, including the stiffened punishments.

“The numbers of fatalities, accidents, motorists and vehicles are on the increase, and we need to introduce drastic measures to control the situation,” Khozahe told The Jordan Times.

Khozahe, who reviewed several studies on the matter, said that over 96 per cent of road accidents are the fault of motorists.

 “We need to introduce laws that would introduce stiff punishments to encourage motorists to abide by the law,” he stressed.

Most of the people who cause road accidents are between the ages of 18 to 30, according to Khozahe.

“We have witnessed horrific accidents in recent months and we have over 550 fatalities annually, so increasing the fines will make many think twice before committing any violations,” Khozahe stressed.  

Mujahed and Mseis stressed that “applying the law in a strict and fair manner will hopefully help in achieving the whole purpose of the amended law”.