In Mexico, 46 people die every day due to road accidents. And in Latin America, there is a rate of 15 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, with the main victims being pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists, who represent 53% of road deaths in the region.
Given the global public health emergency represented by deaths due to road accidents, the points-based license is positioned as an effective alternative to discourage reckless driving habits . This was revealed by a study sponsored by the Aleatica Foundation for Road Safety and carried out by the University Institute of Traffic and Road Safety (INTRAS) of the University of Valencia .
The proposal was made during the panel “Licensing for Road Safety that Saves Lives”, held within the framework of the first regional meeting for Latin America of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety .
The main focus of the research was the positive impact of the implementation of the points-based driving license system at a global level . The study included a survey conducted by Fundación Aleatica, INTRAS and SIMO Consulting , with the aim of understanding the perception of Mexicans regarding a driving license that contributes to saving lives.
77% of respondents supported the proposal of a points system to improve road safety and combat impunity for traffic offences. Eight out of 10 people agreed or strongly agreed with this measure, while 58% considered that it would help ensure that traffic rules are respected much more.
The points-based driving license is in force in several countries and has achieved reductions of between 15% and 20% in the number of road accidents, deaths and injuries .
“International evidence indicates that, if adapted to the country’s particularities, between 2,400 and 3,250 lives could be saved annually in Mexico,” said Francisco Alonso, director of INTRAS.
For example, in Brazil there was a 20% reduction in car accident victims and a 9.1% reduction in motorcycle accidents. In Canada, however, there was a 15% reduction in traffic violations and a 20% reduction in the risk of fatal accidents. Italy reduced its death rate by 18 to 25% and reduced the number of injuries by 19%. In turn, Spain achieved a reduction of between 11 and 18% in deaths and a 12% reduction in serious injuries.
During her participation, Vanessa Chávez, Deputy Director of Monitoring and Information of the Ministry of Mobility of Mexico City , explained the methodology of photocivics, a system in which sanctions for traffic offenders also operate under a points system . However, during the discussion, experts from other countries agreed that this initiative presents opportunities, since approximately 70% of the violations are not captured because they correspond to drivers outside of Mexico City, to cite an example.
For his part, Arturo Cervantes, president of the National Association for Road Safety (ANASEVI) , said that Mexico is moving away from the goal of reducing fatalities from road accidents. “We are going in the wrong direction, we must talk about this and make it a national priority. We must work continuously with society to educate about road safety,” he said.
Cervantes questioned the ease with which a driver’s license is obtained and pointed out that Mexico is the only country in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that does not have a national vehicle or driver registration system.
He explained that the lack of standardized requirements for obtaining a driver’s license and of databases of violations, are added to the absence of periodic control mechanisms and resistance to the points system.
“The biggest challenge is the standardisation of the vehicle information system at a national level, without which it will be very difficult to implement a points-based licence system. We need to rethink mobility, which can only be sustainable if it is safe,” he said.
For his part, Bosco Martí, president of the Aleatica Foundation for Road Safety, welcomed the fluid dialogue that is taking place between civil society, the private sector and the government with the common goal of making the right to mobility in safe road conditions a reality for all people.
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