Police officers should set example in respecting law

A police car was the first to be caught  violating traffic law on Al Urdun Street on Monday, two seconds after the new traffic cameras were switched on at 11am that day, according to AmmonNews website, which posted a picture of the violation.

Unfortunately it happens that some policemen break the traffic law even when there is no dire need for that, such as an emergency situation.

Such policemen can be seen driving without a seat belt on, smoking or failing to signal while changing lanes, or parking in forbidden places just to chat or buy coffee from a street vendor.

Of course, this is not intended to generalise, as the vast majority of our police personnel respects the law and enforces it, but it takes a few to cause harm to the rest.

Police officers, whether on duty or off, should be exemplary in their respect for the law; they should serve as role models to the rest of the population, who should now be aware of the new cameras intended to enforce the law.

The new cameras that were installed in various parts of the city can record several types of violations, according to sources, including speeding, crossing red lights, not respecting lanes and failing to have seat belts on.

The goal is to reduce road accidents and traffic jams.

On the first day of operation, these cameras recorded 3,400 traffic violations, according to the Greater Amman Municipality, which operates them and which announced some locations of the fixed cameras, warning motorists of other mobile ones, in a bid to make drivers abide by the law.

Some motorists where complaining that the whole idea of these cameras was to increase GAM’s revenues rather than regulate traffic and reduce accidents.

Rather than complain, they would be better advised to respect the law, as law-abiding drivers do not need to pay fines.

At the same time, the municipality should consider improving road conditions, making markings — particularly lane dividers — visible to all, and come up with better plans to reduce traffic jams.

Some signs of real work done by the municipality are there, but more is certainly needed.

But above all, law enforcement agencies need to be exemplary, both in abiding by-laws and regulations, and in applying the law firmly and justly.