On average, every day in 2016, 44 drivers were fined for driving a vehicle with an expired driver’s license or temporary learning permit.
To date, 13,504 tickets for violating the Traffic Law were issued. According to Mario Calderón, director of Traffic Police, the fine is 22,187.93 colones.
The official criticized this behavior as there are aspects that facilitate the renewal process and the Traffic Act allows to renew the license up to three months before it expires.
In addition, he also said that, according to the General Directorate of Traffic Education, with 13 offices around the country, a person takes between 5 and 10 minutes to renew the document and if there are scheduling problems, he or she can also conduct the procedure in the Bank Of Costa Rica through an appointment.
According to Calderón, they, like other faults, are a reflection of citizens’ indifference and disrespect to the laws of the Republic and it is not only about the traffic Law, there is a widespread lack of respect to police authority and even to people’s life, and it has been reflected in senseless acts, where not only people do not follow the indications of traffic officers, but try to run them over.
It is also interesting that 46 drivers were driving a vehicle despite having a suspended license for accumulating 12 or more points that left them without that right.
Another striking case is that 3,438 drivers who were traveling in a vehicle didn’t have a license. Although they were accredited as drivers, the car they were traveling in did not match with the drivers’ documents. They also emphasized the 474 fines made to foreigner drivers, who despite having more than three months in Costa Rica keep using their native country’s license. The Traffic Law allows the use of these licenses only for 90 days.