QCOSTARICA – The increase in the number of fines issued for not wearing a seat belt and using a cell phone behind the wheel was from between 15% and 33% this year.
The Policia de Transito (Traffic Police) reports issuing 5,137 tickets for the first nine months of this year, compared to the 4,475 for the same period in 2019.
In total, this year, 3,811 drivers received a fine of ¢110,387 colones for not using the device, while another 1,326 tickets were issued to drivers for allowing other occupants of the vehicle not to buckle up.
“It is not true that only the occupants of the front seats should be fastened with a seatbelt, it must for all the occupants of the vehicle,” stressed German Marín, Director of the Traffic Police.
The number of tickets issued to drivers for using a cell phone while behind the wheel also increased in 2020.
In total, as of September 30, 1,376 tickets of ¢110,387 colones each were issued; while for the first nine months in 2019, the total was 442.