THE EDITOR, Sir:
IN TWO articles, dated March 15 and 22, 1999, in your paper, Dr. Alfred Sangster, brought to our attention the 'blatant inefficiencies' and 'injustices' in the traffic points system. How often have we heard of or been subjected to inefficiencies and injustices within the system?
Recently, on 'Uncensored', a programme aired on FAME FM on Monday nights, injustices and perhaps inefficiencies were brought to the fore. The panel included persons who were themselves victims of the system and subsequent injustices. I myself have been a victim, when on August 16, 1996, a policeman approached me and said, "I going make you get two point on your licence." How crude!
NO EXCUSE
Unknown to me, I had parked in a no-parking area. Be that as is may, it is said that ignorance of the law is no excuse. Three points-free years later, the two points were not removed. How inefficient! Under the law, the points were to have been removed after three years of points-free driving. Not so. It took two letters to your paper and eventually the intervention of the Court Administrator, to effectively remove the points.
Again, recently a colleague of mine was reportedly charged for speeding at 150 km/hour (90 miles/hour) in an old truck. Upon checking with the dealer, the truck could not possibly go up to that speed. It is noteworthy that since the police have got new radar guns, there have been numerous complaints by motorists, including some of the panellists on and callers to 'Uncensored' about wrong readings. (Could something be wrong with the radar guns?) In some states in the US, a sticker with the reading is printed on spot. Perhaps we could call it evidence. The action of a policeman jumping out in front of you, stopping you and showing you a reading that may not even be your own, as has been lamented by many, is unjust. Isn't it?
Some policemen reportedly don't even want to show you the reading. The Senior Superintendent in charge of Traffic, who was on air even had the gall to defend his men by saying that they are not obliged to show you. Rubbish!
PRINT-OUT SYSTEM
Perhaps, in a country like ours where injustice from the police is rife, the system of a print-out at police speed checkpoints would be beneficial to all parties concerned! Of course, they may very well say that its impractical or they don't have the financial resources to do so.
I have said all that to raise a few points. Perhaps the administrators could take a page out of the manual of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) and that of other states and see how a DMV or Traffic Department is efficiently administered. There are two types of violations- moving violations and parking violations. Of course, the former is more serious and the penalties are more severe. Points can be removed by doing defensive driving courses which are also advantageous for insurance purposes. With our high level of accidents per capita, perhaps the government could implement such courses to avert and eventually critically reduce the high level of accidents on our roads.
On page 24 of the New York State DMV manual, which may be available at the library of the US Embassy, several categories of offences punishable by various numbers of points are outlined. Page 24-25 reads, "If you acquire 11 or more points within 18 months, you will be notified by mail that your licence will be suspended... You may request a DMV hearing... You may reduce your point total by up to 4 points and save up to 10 per cent on your auto liability insurance premiums by taking a DMV-approved accident prevention course." The manual is informative and could perhaps in conjunction with that of other state manuals help our system which seemingly needs major revision. Over to you S/Supt. Powell. (Officer i/c Traffic).
I am, etc.,
HANDEL JOHNSON
hjohnson@cwjamaica.com
P.O. Box 208,
Kingston 5
