«Tolérance zéro pour les chauffards» – Le Jeune Indépendant

Every day, lives are lost on the roads. Faced with this massacre, the State says stop. The highway code reform project intends to put an end to dangerous behavior and repeat offenders. Tougher sanctions, point-based licenses, digital checks and better driver training, all measures to make the road an area of ​​discipline, respect and safety for all.

Contacted by THE Young IndependentAli Chekian, president of the National Academy of Road Safety, specified that these provisions constitute a fundamental step in the national strategy. He welcomes the content of the bill, which aims to introduce more rigorous and more dissuasive measures to deal with the seriousness of road accidents.

Chekian underlined that these reforms mark “a real turning point in prevention policy and in the modernization of the road system”, contributing to strengthening the culture of discipline at the wheel, to protecting human lives and property, and to lastingly correcting the dangerous behavior of drivers. He highlighted the structuring nature of these measures, which are based on the complete digitalization of the traffic management system. The project notably provides for the creation of a national register of offenses, the implementation of the points-based license as well as the generalization of the digital registration document.

The objective, he explains, is to establish an interconnected database between the Ministry of Justice and the security services, in order to facilitate the monitoring of offenses, speed up investigations and guarantee more rigorous application of sanctions. These modern tools will also ensure increased traceability of offenders and strengthen transparency in the processing of files.

The bill introduces tougher penalties and increased fines against perpetrators of serious offenses, such as speeding, drunk driving, cell phone use or even dangerous overtaking. A system of progressive penalties will be established, taking into account seriousness and repeat offenses. According to Mr. Chekian, these measures “are not only aimed at punishing but at instilling a real culture of responsibility and respect for the highway code.”

Repeat offender drivers and those whose behavior directly endangers the lives of others will now be exposed to criminal sanctions up to and including imprisonment. “The objective is to deter irresponsible behavior and remind everyone that safety on the roads is a collective responsibility,” he insisted.

Training drivers, a priority

Beyond the repressive aspect, the president of the Academy insisted on the importance of fundamentally reforming the driver training system. Statistics, he says, show that “a significant proportion of accidents are caused by young drivers holding a probationary license.”

To remedy this, the bill introduces a national digital training system based on modernized technical and educational modules. Theoretical and practical exams will now be computerized, as part of a complete digital transition of the driving learning system. The text also encourages the creation of smart driving schools, equipped with advanced technologies, in order to improve the quality of education and evaluate candidates objectively.

The new system provides for the strengthening of digital surveillance means through the installation of cameras, radars and intelligent sensors for the automatic detection of offenses. The State is also working to facilitate the electronic payment of fines, with the aim of simplifying procedures for citizens and accelerating the recovery of sanctions.

These innovations are accompanied by the introduction of modern control systems: drug detectors, automatic weighing devices for heavy goods vehicles, and intelligent vehicle tracking tools. These technologies will enable rapid identification of offenders and effective intervention by security forces.

Chekian stressed that the effectiveness of these reforms will depend on an integrated approach, involving all stakeholders in the road system. The law expands the prerogatives of local authorities in terms of infrastructure maintenance and the treatment of black spots in the road network.

It also provides for the creation of a National Road Safety and Prevention Council, responsible for defining, coordinating and evaluating the national strategy, in liaison with local units established in each wilaya.

This new institutional architecture will, according to him, promote better coordination between the services concerned and an adaptation of public policies to local realities.

Establish a national safety culture

The president of the National Academy of Road Safety also announced the creation of the President of the Republic’s Prize for Road Safety, intended to reward associations, researchers, academics and journalists who work to raise awareness and prevention.

He also called for the proclamation of a National Road Safety Day, in order to further anchor this culture in the collective consciousness. These initiatives, he said, will help strengthen the spirit of responsibility and encourage citizen initiatives in favor of safety on our roads.

Finally, Mr. Chekian insisted on the need to support the reform with large-scale awareness campaigns, in partnership with the media, to support the State’s efforts and involve citizens more. He stressed that compulsory training and medical and psychological monitoring of professional drivers, particularly those in public transport, constitute an essential axis to guarantee the safety of passengers.

Our objective, he affirmed, is to build a safer, more responsible and more modern road environment, based on prevention, technology and civic awareness. “The new provisions of the bill embody the State’s desire to act firmly and sustainably against the causes of road accidents,” he concluded.