The Penalty Points

Road Safety

Lara Jones (not real name) relocated to the United Kingdom over ten years ago. In 2014, Lara bought her first car. Barely six months after buying her car in 2014, she was caught on camera doing 43 mph on a 30 mph road. For this infraction, she received 3 points on her licence. The 3 points were meant to cancel out in four years.

Five years after her first citation, in 2019, Lara was caught speeding but was sent to take a speed awareness course as it was just 3 mph above the speed limit. Although she was not given a fine, she booked the course at a cost of 60 pounds which is equivalent to over N50,000.

Just this year, 2023, Lara Jones was again caught doing 47 mph on a 30 mph road. The consequences for this infraction was another 3 points on her licence and a fine of one hundred pounds which is equivalent to N90,000. Lara confessed that caution and responsible driving has now become her catch word for the next four years. The 3 points she concluded may affect her insurance.

I have chosen to share Lara’s experience in the United Kingdom because in just six days, we will clock 35 years. Thirty-five years of policing Nigerian roads; of raising awareness to promote responsible driving. Recall that last week, I testified how I blushed when someone doffed her hat for the Federal Road Safety Corps. My reasons for blushing were numerous. In 35 years, we have had the good, the bad and the ugly times. We have been bashed, assaulted, kidnapped, run over and killed. Some operatives are bedridden for merely pleading that we use the road responsibly. I know we have our flaws. In service delivery as well as the conduct of some of our operatives who have since lost our trademark civility. Despite these flaws, we have stamped our foothold amassing accolades for our innovations and uniqueness in tackling rising road traffic crashes.

As we reflect on the road travelled since 1988, I believe it is time to ponder on some instruments that can give bite to enforcement. Thirty-five years of FRSC operations provides the time for offenders to face a new level of enforcement through the introduction of the penalty points. Penalty points should be introduced to change the attitude and behaviours of the motoring public. Penalty points must be introduced to change the attitudes and behaviours of the “forgetful or reckless minority” who fail to wear a seat belt according to the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety PACTS, in the United Kingdom.

Although this position was made while reflecting on 40 years of seat belt enforcement, in the UK, I believe that we can do the same as we reflect on 35 years of FRSC existence.

As we navigate 2023 hopeful of a better driving culture, I have chosen to guide motorists so they will become more knowledgeable about traffic rules and infractions including their penalty. This piece will hopefully run for the next two weeks as my focus will be on the penalty point system. I must therefore state here that this piece is a must read for every licensed driver to avoid falling prey to driver’s license suspension, withdrawal or you getting a warning based on the accumulation of certain points as provided for in the traffic regulations.

Let me start with the definition of what the terms are. The penalty point refers to points allotted to traffic offences accumulated in the driver’s record? If a driver receives a statutorily maximum number of points, the driver would be warned and or have his license suspended or withdrawn. Fines on the other hand is payment of a sum of money made to satisfy a claim of an offence committed as penalty while Warning is notification issued to a traffic offender who has accumulated 10 – 14 penalty points. Suspension is the temporal removal or interruption of authority or right to drive a vehicle or ride a motorcycle/tricycle, as a punishment for a period of time, having accumulated 15 to 20 penalty points. Withdrawal is the act or condition of taking away the authority or the denial of the right to drive a motor vehicle or ride a motorcycle/tricycle on Nigerian roads, having accumulated 21 and above penalty points.

The second definition is on the use of notice of offence sheet- the notice of offence sheet is issued by a road Marshal to a traffic offender who has violated any of the road traffic laws and regulations. It is a legal document and as such should be properly understood and filled, as it may be tendered in the law court for prosecution purposes.

Having defined these terms as a guide let me now focus on the notice of offence which contains the specific traffic offences. These numbers are not restrictive as they can either increase or decrease depending on what the traffic regulations provide at a time. It is your responsibility to know and understand these offences and to daily strive not to run foul of any. However, if you think my warning means nothing ,please do remember that we are in a season of change and that even before this season took root, the Federal Road Safety Corps had begun updating its traffic offenders data record to aid and ease enforcement especially as it affects recalcitrant offenders who think they are immune from prosecution.

In treating the offences, you will get to know the offences, their categories, definitions, penalties and penalty points. Since specific infractions have become the norm, I think it will be appropriate to first look at offences such as speeding, use of phone while driving, seat belt, drivers’ license and vehicle paper offences, in addition to assaulting marshals on duty among others. The first is Road marking violation which attracts 5 points and a fine of N5,000. It refers to the failure to observe road markings, regulatory, prohibitory or mandatory road traffic signs. Details of these signs are contained in the Revised Highway Code. The second is Route violation which attracts 5 points and a penalty fine of N5,000. It refers to the contravention of the provision of any traffic law or regulation relating to directions and routes to be followed by vehicles e.g. facing on-coming vehicles or plying route prohibited for certain categories of vehicles.

I know that the National Road Traffic Regulations make it compulsory for all occupants of a vehicle to strap themselves. Even though a lot of progress has been made in this direction, some people are yet to come to terms with this. Seatbelt use violation attracts 2 points and a penalty of N2, 000. It refers to driving a vehicle without using a seat belt and/or without ensuring that other passengers in the vehicle use seatbelts. Excessive speeding remains our number one major infraction responsible for over 56 per cent of recorded road traffic crashes and deaths. Speed limit violation attracts 3 points and a penalty fine of N3000- it refers to driving a vehicle or riding a motorcycle/tricycle on the highway in excess of the prescribed speed limits for a category of vehicle or road. Maximum speed limits for different categories of motor vehicles are as follows: 100km/ph for cars on the expressway, 90 km/ph for taxis and buses while in built-up areas, the limit is within 20-50 km/ph.