The New traffic law of Costa Rica of 2012

San Jos, 26 Ocoter 2012 Costa Rica woke up to a new traffic law this morning, a law that aims to reduce the carnage on the countrys roads and educate drivers. However, following months on end of debate by legislators, the advice of the Sala Constitucional (Constitutional Court) and weeks the government took to review the law before accepting and publishing, it will take a couple of weeks for both drivers and traffic officials to adapt to the process.

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Silvia Bolaos, director of the Consejo de Seguridad Vial (COSEVI), admitted that though traffic officials have been updated to the new law, their equipment like the handheld ticketing units and the breathalyzers are not, that is not able to issue the correct ticketing and reading, respectively. This has caused Presidenta Laura Chinchilla to scold transport officials, as tickets (partes) for the coming days will be hand written in the traditional ticket book used by the MOPT. No word on the roadside breathalyzers. Notwithstanding, the new traffic law is in place and the following are highlights. A complete copy of the law can be found here. FINES The fines are divided into five categories: A (280.000 colones), B (189.000), C (94.000), D (47.000) and E (20.000), of which 63% will go to the COSEVI, 23% to the PANI, 5% to the Red Cross and 3% to the ministry of Justice. Gone is the 30% add to the PANI. Today, the amount printed on the ticket is what the driver will have to pay.. POINTS The new law changes the point system from 50 points where the driver loses points to 12 where they are added depending on the type of infraction. The new system allows for 6 demerit points for any offence in category A and 4 for B. When a driver accumulates 12 demerit points, he or she will have their licenses suspended for one year, two years for a recurring suspension.

Once the time has passed and the driver has attended a driver education course, the drivers license is reinstated and with a clean slate of points. TYPE OF DRIVERS As of today there will be three class of drivers in Costa Rica: novices, professionals and those are neither novices or professionals. In the last it includes all drivers who have a drivers license for some time. As explained by transport officials, novices and professionals are in the following class: Novices are classed as those drivers who obtain their license for the first time and for not longer than three years. We can assume that foreigners moving to Costa Rica, obtaining their license for a first time, though they have been driving for years in their home country, will be deemed novices. Professionals are those drivers who hold a B3, B4, C (public transport) and D (special equipment). On expiry, drivers with an A, B1 and B2 can then request a P (for professional) license.

Infraction Not wearing a seatbelt Talking on a cell phone while driving Making an illegal U Turn Not respecting the vehicle restriction Speedig 20 km/h over the posted limit Driving in excess of 40 km/h over the posted limit Following too closely (tailgating) Failing to obey a stop sign or red light Passing on the right on a two lane road Driving a vehicle on the beach Driving without headlights after 6pm and before 6am Littering (throwing thrash) from a vehicle on a public road Honking the horn excessively

Fine 94.000 280.000 280.000 20.000 47.000 189.000 20.000 189.000 280.000 47.000 94.000 20.000 20.000

Points 4 6 6 0 0 4 0 4 6 0 6 0 0

Burned out light (tail of headlight) or damaged or worn windshield wipers Driving without a windshield Blasting speakers Motorcyclist not using reflective vest Motorcyclist or cyclist not using helmet No Marchamo No Riteve (vehicular inspection) Not paying tolls Driving without a license Driving with a suspended license Illegal taxi service (offering public transport without a permit) Foreigners in the country for more than 3 months (visa period) without a Costa Rican license Driving without a drivers license on ones person Not having a fire extinguisher, emergency triangle and reflective vest (replaces the emergency kit in the old law0 Driving without the vehicles documents at hand Driving with a blood alcohol limit of between 0.50 and 0.74 Driving with a blood alcohol limit of 0.75 and higher (in addition to the fine there could be from 1 to 3 years prison and/or confiscation of vehicle and suspension of license for up to 2 years) Driving in excess of 120 km/h but not more than 150 km/h Driving in excess of 150km/h (in addition to the fine there could be from 1 to 3 years prison and/or confiscation of vehicle and suspension of license for up to 2 years) Street racing (piques) (in addition to the fine there could be from 1 to 3 years prison and/or confiscation of vehicle and suspension of license for up to 2 years)

20.000 20.000 20.000 47.000 94.000 47.000 47.000 20.000 280.000 280.000 280.000 94.000 47.000 20.000 20.000 280.000 280.000 280.000 280.000

0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 6 6 6 4 0 0 0 6 6 6 6

280.000

Carrying child under 5 on a motorcycle or quads Motorcycles (includes mopeds) that weave through traffic (in between vehicles) at more than 25 km/h Crossing a double line (median) Minor 12 and under whose height is less than 1.45m without a child seat

189.000 189.000 280.000 144.000

4 4 6 0