Editorial: it’s the safety, stupid (not mere economy)

Photo: Margus Ansu

In the EU, many rules are similar; even so, there have been holes in the system keeping an eye on the keeping thereof. At least when it comes to Estonia. And traffic.

By amending the Traffic Act, a step is taken towards uniform responsibility for violation of rules. Riigikogu has hereby received, for ratification, an amendment which, simply put, allows Estonia to fine traffic offenders from elsewhere in EU, and vice versa. No longer can an Estonian driver abroad, or a foreign driver in Estonia, speed merrily along without fear of the traffic camera.

The unified pan-European database, joined by Estonia in a year, will make information on our drivers available to police in most of Europe; and theirs to ours. Thus, any need-for-speed-driver will, some sunny day, find a ticket in his post box no matter where he may dwell, EU-wise.

It has been calculated that, for Estonia, this would bring some €130,000 of extra income a year, in fines. This, however, isn’t the main thing at all. Much more important it is that, no longer sensing «impunity», drivers would act safer all Europe over. Should some become more law-abiding, the bill be praised.

As shown by calculations performed by interior and economy ministries, foreign drivers violate Estonian speed cameras alone close to 35,000 times a year. Remarkably, a large part of that is done by the same persons, repeatedly, over a short period of time. This, indirectly, is pointing to a problem much broader.

Namely: as noticed by sociologists, people’s behaviour may greatly vary home and abroad; in a foreign environment, some seem to sense certain freedom from social norms. A citizen, law-abiding at home, may turn into quite a freewheeler. Should this be amplified by feeling of impunity due to lack of cross-border controls, the results may be tragic. Therefore, the new regulation carries quite a weight.

True: the joint data-sharing system will not include UK, Denmark and, for example, Russia – drivers from the latter being top offenders amongst foreigners in Estonia. Nevertheless, this is a welcome step towards road safety. And, who knows: the database might yet spread to these other lands.