With the new Road Traffic Code recently voted on in Parliamentthe Greek state is turning a page on the issue of road safety. The aim, for the first time, to deal with actual violations that have remained practically unpunished to date.
One of the most important incisions introduced by the new road traffic code Approved by the House concerns the driving without a diploma – a abusive behavior that has so far been treated more as a formal infringement than as a real threat to citizens’ safety.
The problem with the previous regime
Although driving without a diploma is a criminal offense, in practice the procedures were not applied. The autopsy was not adhered to, the cases were referred to the audience with a delay of months and almost always the defendants were acquittedhaving in the meantime issued or regained their permission.
The result was a system that discouraged policing and maintained the impression that “nothing is happening” – even when human life is at risk.
The new CKE approach
At the initiative of the Deputy Minister of Transport, Konstantinou Kyranakisthe new Coke puts an end to this situation.
For the first time, a clear, immediate and applicable procedure is foreseen:
– The prosecutor immediately draws up an indictment.
– A fine of 2,000 to 40,000 euros is imposed.
– A prison sentence of up to 1 year is provided.
– The vehicle is decommissioning.
– If there is a traffic accident with injury or death, the sentence reaches up to 20 years in prison under Article 290A of the Criminal Code.
From impunity to responsibility
“The new philosophy of the Code is based on the application of the law without discounts. It is not mere tension, but a transition to a model of real accountability, where every driving behavior has consequences.
Greece acquires, for the first time, a coke that does not stay on paper. And the state sends a clear message: Road safety is non -negotiable, ”said officials from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.