Increasing Fines Will Not Solve the Problem: MP from the Civil Contract on Traffic Accidents

To avoid fatal traffic accidents in Armenia, it is necessary to change the organization of traffic and raise public legal awareness. This was stated in an interview with Sputnik Armenia by Armen Khachatrayan, former deputy head of the Road Police and MP from the Civil Contract faction.

According to him, the statistics on traffic accidents in Armenia are, to put it mildly, unsatisfactory, as pedestrians cross at improper places, and drivers often exceed speed limits.

“We witness fatal accidents almost every day. One of the main reasons for traffic accidents is the sharp increase in the number of vehicles in the republic. The methods of organizing traffic must change, for example, installing smart traffic lights and increasing surveillance systems. It is very important for drivers to follow traffic rules, not exceed speed limits, and raise the legal awareness of pedestrians,” said Khachatrayan.

He emphasized that children should be educated in preschool institutions and schools to learn and know traffic rules well. In the MP's opinion, simply increasing fines will not solve the problem.

“Increasing the amount of fines does not always lead to positive results. We should be able to respond to all violations, even with small fines. I don’t think it is the right time to raise fines,” noted Khachatrayan.

According to the MP, there are administrative violations that could even be criminalized, such as overtaking in tunnels, which can lead to disastrous accidents. Separate sanctions should also be applied in cases of pedestrian crossings.