Doubling of delayed Saher fine opposed

The Shoura Council on Tuesday proposed to scrap part of the controversial Article 73 of the Traffic Law that allows the government to double the fines of traffic violators who fail to pay within 30 days.
Members of the consultative body proposed various ways to tackle the issue, including a discount for those paying their fines within one month.
The Shoura members were discussing a report presented by an Interior Ministry team on the legal and social aspects of the Saher system.
One member also wanted to scrap prison sentences for traffic violators, arguing that traffic offenders would mix with hardened criminals in prison and become worse offenders.
But a woman member opposed the idea and urged the traffic authorities not to show any leniency toward reckless drivers who endanger the lives of others. She said such offenders deserved the maximum punishment stipulated in the law.
Another woman member supported this view. “We have to impose tougher punishment for violators to ensure traffic discipline. We should also apply strict rules before granting driving licenses.” She called for more awareness programs on traffic rules at schools.
“The increasing number of deaths caused by traffic accidents is quite alarming,” said another member. He hoped Saher would play a big role in reducing fatalities.
According to the traffic department, 17 people on average die on the Kingdom’s roads every day.
Essam bin Hassan Kawther of King Abdulaziz University said Saudi Arabia loses SR87 billion every year because of traffic accidents.
About 97 percent of accident victims require hospitalization, and the average cost of treatment ranges between SR4,123 and SR20,186, he said quoting a study.