Interior and Police Minister Faride Raful favored a crackdown on helmet non-compliance during her Monday, 28 April 2025 press conference. While most motorcyclists in the capital city use helmets, those in interior provinces do not, despite the rule being the same for all the country.
Speaking at a press conference following the weekly Citizen Security Plan meeting, Minister Raful emphasized the need for public awareness campaigns to foster a culture of responsibility among motorcyclists. “If citizens do not comply with the law and take personal responsibility for their safety, the authorities are limited in their efforts,” she stated, as reported in Listin Diario.
Raful noted that over 75% of traffic fatalities involve motorcyclists, a trend she described as unacceptable. “We cannot continue to lose lives on our roads. That’s why we’re implementing stronger measures, not just from a legal standpoint but also through preventive initiatives, to save more lives,” she said.
The minister revealed that in addition to stricter enforcement, her department is exploring the use of artificial intelligence technologies to enhance traffic monitoring by the Traffic Safety and Land Transport Agency (Digesett). She expects these measures to be in place before year-end.
Raful also mentioned ongoing preventive efforts, including helmet distribution and a dedicated “Road Task Force” bringing together traffic and mobility authorities.
A recent editorial in Listin Diario had underscored the stark contrast between helmet usage in the capital, where most riders comply with the law, and the rest of the country, where helmets are rarely worn. The newspaper criticized this disparity as reflecting inconsistent law enforcement and emphasized that road safety should be a universal right, not a geographical privilege.
The present chaos in traffic reflects an accumulation of law violations with the compliance of the authorities and a lack of consequences. A recent report indicates that only one of every three traffic fines is paid.
During her remarks on Monday, 28 April, Minister Raful also touched on migration issues, highlighting the repatriation of 27,598 Haitian nationals in the January-April 2025 period. Likewise, she noted that the homicide rate remains at 7.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, had dropped to 6.1 in April, which she attributed to efforts to curb crime and social conflicts.
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Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
29 April 2025