A fine of two thousand BAM, a six-month driving ban and two penalty points are the mildest sanctions for reckless driving. If such driving is accompanied by participation in a traffic accident, the penalties are almost twice as high.
These are the key provisions of the new Law on the Basics of Road Traffic Safety in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to professional assessments, its implementation is already yielding first results in the field. The Federal Television team followed the details of the implementation of the new regulations on patrol with police officers.
The first effects of the new law
Although the new Law on the Basics of Road Traffic Safety in Bosnia and Herzegovina is in force, police officers are recording violations when they go out into the field. We will see the true effects of the law after a few months of implementation, but the first 30 days show that the numbers are on a downward trajectory.
“Drivers who committed more serious violations were issued 750 misdemeanor warrants, 120 of which specifically relate to reckless driving,” said Elvedin Mahmutović, Commander of the Traffic Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Sarajevo Canton.
Reckless driving is the biggest novelty in the Law, which clearly defines violations in this category. For the most serious violations covered by Article 42.a of the Law, the penalties are rigorous.
Stricter penalties for reckless drivers
Mahmutović explains that for the most serious forms of reckless driving, high fines are foreseen, as well as additional protective measures.
“Such fines range from 2,000 BAM. In addition to fines, drivers of motor vehicles are given protective measures of up to six months and two penalty points. If in such offenses the driver participates in a traffic accident for which he is responsible, the fines range from 3,000 to 5,000 BAM, and the driver, in addition to the fine, is given four penalty points and a nine-month ban on driving a motor vehicle,” said Mahmutović.
Mirzet Sarajlić, a court expert in the field of traffic, believes that the new fines are not aimed at filling the budget, but at removing reckless drivers from the roads.
“It can happen to anyone that they exceed the speed in some place and get a fine. However, it cannot happen to a normal driver that they exceed 40 kilometers per hour above the limit. That is really too much. I would not agree that these are measures that will fill budgets, but they are measures that will remove arrogant drivers from the roads,” said Sarajlić.
Focus on alcohol and drugs
The law adopted at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina is an adequate instrument that gives the police the possibility to sanction negligent drivers, but also offers a solution to one of the biggest causes of accidents, adds Sarajlić.
“Everyone focused on increasing speeding fines, but what is much more important is the sanctioning of drivers who use drugs, which was previously not covered by the law, as well as alcohol,” emphasized Sarajlić.
The new law also introduced zero tolerance for offenses which until now were often punished with lighter penalties, such as using a mobile phone and not using a driver’s and passenger’s seat belt.
Citizens support stricter measures
Citizens generally support the increase in fines and believe that stricter measures are necessary.
“I completely agree with that. I’m a driver myself and I know how the drivers around me drive. I’m in favor of the maximum tightening of penalties,” said the citizen.
“I think it should be even stronger,” said one of the citizens.
“Even bigger fines. I’m a retired professional driver. I would increase them, let them fine me too, and so on,” said one of the respondents.
“It’s good, it’s good for pedestrians,” said the citizen.
Numerous violations in the RS
That such legal provisions are very necessary is also shown by the data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RS, from which they state that in June of this year, police officers recorded 268 violations of driving under the influence.
The adoption of the Law on the Basics of Traffic Safety on Roads in BiH represents one of the most significant reforms of traffic regulations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last decade, our interlocutors agree.
