26 January 2023
The Chilean Congress has approved the implementation of the Automated Center for the Treatment of Offenses (CATI). Until now, speed control fell to the carabinieri and tax inspectors.
According to the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications (MTT), the system will consist of an automated network that will be in charge of the detection, notification and processing of infractions. The project specifies that the areas where the automated devices will be installed must be signposted and provide clear and precise information to drivers about their location.
The system will detect vehicles that exceed the permitted speed, travel in urban areas with restrictions due to environmental pollution, as well as infractions of land transport regulations that are susceptible to automated capture.
The Chilean government has reported that in 2019, 184,040 speed violations were filed in the country, equivalent to only 3.2% of the vehicle fleet, which consists of almost six million units. This result, he affirms, points to low compliance with speed limits and a feeling of impunity among drivers. Furthermore, he points out that “With the increasing requirements for police personnel for public security work, the police contingent that can be dedicated to traffic control work is small and since it has to be carried out in person, there are a large number of drivers who commit offenses that are never detected“.
Despite the urgency of taking measures in this regard, the process has been brewing for nine years and still has a long way to go. The law was approved this week in Congress but now it has to be promulgated by the president and published in the Official Gazette. From then on, the MTT has six months to prepare a regulation that develops it and, after its official publication, there will be a new period of 90 days to begin its implementation. In short, the time required for it to be applied effectively is estimated at one year.