Approximately 50 motorists have had their licences suspended since the new Road Traffic Act came into force in February.

While no motorists has had his/her driver’s licence revoked so far the traffic chief, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Gary McKenzie has warned motorists to obey the rules of the road or they will feel the effects of the law when they have accumulated enough demerit points for their driver’s licences to be suspended, and could also be revoked.

The new law, which significantly updates fines and penalties for breaches, took effect on February 1, and since this time the police say more than 535,000 tickets have been issued to motorists for various offences.

This has, however, not bested the record number of 720,694 traffic tickets issued for breaches of the road code last year.

“I believe that the increase in fines and points for some offences have made a difference. The addition of the offence of driving whilst using a cellphone is impactful,” said McKenzie, who heads the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

He told the Jamaica Observer that the offence motorists are mostly ticketed for is ‘failing to wear seat belt’ for which more than 100,000 tickets have been issued, followed by ‘driving at excessive speeds’, with more than 60,000 tickets issued.

Under the legislation, an accumulation of traffic tickets for offences, including speeding, driving/operating motor vehicle while using electronic communication device, and careless driving causing collision, now result in demerit points added to the driver’s licence.

ACP McKenzie noted that licences are suspended through the courts or when motorists accumulate 10 or more points.

Among the repercussions for the offence of speeding under the demerit system, with the accumulation of 10 to 14 demerit points over a 12-month period, is the suspension of the licence and/or payment of fines. To get back the licence, the driver is required to complete training on the dangers of speeding by a certified driving instructor, and pass a written test administered by the Island Traffic Authority (ITA).

However, if after 15 months, a driver has accumulated demerit points that are fewer than those required for a suspension of the licence, then the points will expire and the record cleared.

Under the new Road Traffic Act, drivers with outstanding traffic tickets will not be able to transfer titles of vehicles, renew driver’s licences, or pay fitness and registration fees. Previously, drivers with accumulated traffic tickets were still able to conduct these transactions at the tax office.

In the meantime, ACP McKenzie said he believes that the police have been fairly effective in enforcement of the new Road Traffic Act.

He said that the electronic ticketing system has greatly improved enforcement and has ensured greater compliance as it relates to prosecutions. He noted, for example, that payment for infractions have now moved from 30 per cent to approximately 55 per cent.

In June this year, the Ministry of National Security had reported that the digitised Traffic Ticket Management System (TTMS) has resulted in greater efficiencies, reducing the number of issues associated with the manual writing tickets by 90 per cent.

The system allows the police to issue tickets using a mobile device and printer. The data instantly uploads to the centralised TTMS database, which is accessible by the JCF, the traffic courts and all other government agencies that depend on traffic ticket information.

The digitised system has reduced the time it takes for the police to issue a traffic ticket and there has also been an increase in the number of traffic tickets being issued, with the number now averaging 7,000 per week.

ACP McKenzie said he is of the belief that motorists are not as aware as they should be about what is contained in the new Road Traffic Act; as such, he is advising them to visit the Ministry of Justice’s website to get more acquainted with the new legislation.