Steep new traffic fine rates held in abeyance for three months
Traffic police will not enforce the new hefty fines against traffic violators for three months while a public awareness campaigns is carried out about the new traffic law and the new fine rates, a senior police officer said on Monday.
Pol Maj-General Preecha Charoensahayanon, deputy director of the Traffic Management Centre of the Royal Thai Police, said although the new traffic law took effect on Monday, he has instructed traffic police nationwide to use the old fine rates for three months.
During the three-month period, traffic police would also educate traffic violators about the heavier penalties that are actually designed to protect motorists against road accidents, Preecha added.
He said although the maximum fines for violating speed limits and traffic lights would be 4,000 baht, police would be fining the violators 500 baht during the three-month period, Preecha said.
“This will give enough time to motorists to adapt themselves and obey the new traffic law,” Preecha said.
After the three-month leniency period, they would use ladder-step fines for offences related to pedestrians’ safety, such as violation of the zebra-crossing sign, red light, and failing to use a safety belt or failing to wear crash helmets in the case of motorcyclists, Preecha added.
The step-fines would start from 500 baht and would increase to 1,000 baht for the second violation of the same offence, he said.
Preecha said records of drunk-driving before September 5 would not be counted in the new fine system but police would start counting the number of drunk driving occasions from Monday.
The new fine rates for traffic violations include:
- 5,000 to 10,000 baht and/or three-month imprisonment for racing on roads
- 10,000 to 20,000 baht and/or six-month imprisonment for organising road racing
- 2,000 baht for failing to use safety belts. Passengers in all seats must use safety belts.
- 5,000 to 20,000 baht and/or one-year imprisonment for first-time drunk driving.
- 50,000 to 100,000 baht and two-year imprisonment for repeating drunk driving offence within two years
- 4,000 baht for violation of speed limits
- 4,000 baht for violation of red light
- 4,000 baht for failing to stop for pedestrians at zebra crossing
- 2,000 baht for driving against the traffic flow
- 2,000 baht for violation of parking ban
- 2,000 baht for failing to wear crash helmet
- 5,000 to 20,000 baht and/or one-year imprisonment for reckless driving endangering others’ life.