The “Progressives” and the Ministry of Transport under the control of the party have advanced such a proposal several times, but the Saeima categorically did not support it.
Statistics show that only 29% of cars outside built-up areas observe the permitted speed of 90 km/h. Such extensive speeding increases the risk of accidents and the possibility of serious consequences, the proposal is justified by “Progressives”.
“Currently, 64 people die in road traffic accidents per one million inhabitants in Latvia, compared to the European average – 42, while in Sweden this figure is only 21. In many European countries, the penalty for speeding is already applied from 1 km/h, which has significantly helped reduce the number of accidents and deaths,” the party says.
Along with the development of the Law on Administrative Responsibility and the norms of the Code of Administrative Violations of Latvia regarding the inclusion of the mentioned violations in the Road Traffic Law, a warning was retained as the only form of punishment for exceeding the permitted driving speed up to 10 km/h. “Progressives” claim that practice has shown that this type of punishment does not achieve the desired effect and result, if it is applied to the number of fixed violations and the total traffic accident statistics.
There is an urgent need to improve road safety by reorienting towards a smooth and consistent flow of vehicles, which can be ensured when all vehicles move at the same predictable speed, avoiding unnecessary overtaking maneuvers, which is one of the most dangerous potential traffic safety threats, says party.
“Progressives” believe that if the average speed on Latvian roads were to decrease by 2 km/h, 20 lives could be saved a year.
The goal of the Ministry of Transport is to bring Latvia closer to the European average in road traffic safety, and this is said to be possible only with determined action.
“As politicians, we must also be able to make unpopular decisions, because the truth is clear: speeding kills. More frequent and stricter penalties for speeding are necessary to reduce the number of people who die in accidents,” emphasized Transport Minister Kaspars Briškens (P).
2024-10-06 04:23:14