Members of the People’s National Assembly approved the traffic law text on Monday, following the report of the joint committee regarding disputed provisions between the two chambers of Parliament. The vote took place during a public session chaired by the President of the People’s National Assembly, Brahim Boughali, in the presence of the Minister of the Interior, Local Authorities, and Transport, Saïd Saïoud, and the Minister of Relations with Parliament, Najiba Djilali.
In his speech, Saïoud explained that one of the most significant results achieved by the joint committee was the decriminalization of traffic violations mentioned in the provisions of this law, along with a review of penalties and fines to ensure a balance between legal deterrence and social justice.
The joint committee on the disputed provisions between the two chambers of Parliament reduced the value of fines for second-degree violations to 4,000 dinars. Third-degree fines were set between 6,000 and 9,000 dinars depending on the category, while fourth-degree fines were set at 10,000 dinars. Fines for first-degree violations remained unchanged, with equal penalties for involuntary manslaughter resulting from a traffic accident due to recklessness or lack of precaution.
Third-degree fines, which are classified into two categories, were also reduced. The first category is now penalized with a fixed fine of 6,000 dinars instead of 8,000 dinars for offenses such as exceeding the speed limit by more than 10% but less than 20%, the mandatory use of seatbelts by motor vehicle drivers, and the placement of plastic strips or any other opaque material on vehicle glass.
Regarding driving-related crimes, Article 124 stipulates that any driver who commits involuntary manslaughter or unintentionally causes it following a traffic accident due to recklessness, lack of precaution, inattention, negligence, or failure to comply with legal and regulatory traffic rules shall be punished by imprisonment for one to five years and a fine ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 dinars.
In this context, penalties were equalized between regular drivers and drivers of heavy vehicles, public transport, school transport, taxis, freight transport, or the transport of hazardous materials. The penalties mentioned in Articles 125, 127, 128, and 129 were maintained in their previous form, using the term “prison,” while the description “temporary detention” was replaced with “imprisonment” in Article 129.
