Traffic
On a yearly basis in Curaçao there are a high amount of regrettable traffic casualties. Not only with injured persons, but unfortunately there are also fatalities. Very often, the cause of the accident is due to unsafe road behavior, such as speeding.
To make traffic safer, the police carry out regular traffic checks. Think hereby on the fining for driving without a license, driving through a red light, driving without a seat belt, making calls without a 'hands free' set and speed enforcements.
Also checks for the possession of the car approval card are included. In this way, every owner of a vehicle is stimulated to check his or her vehicle biennially on road safety at the Local Inspection.
Traffic controls are not held for the prevention of accidents alone. The police also regularly monitors on the possession of an insurance certificate and proof of tax payment. If every traffic participant has properly insured his or her vehicle, any damage can be settled easier. As for the taxes it simply is imperative that taxes just need to be paid for owning a vehicle.
The Traffic rules of Curaçao are laid down in laws, ordinances and regulations.
A number of important traffic laws and regulations:
- Road Traffic Ordinance of Curaçao, 2000
- Motor Vehicle Tax Ordinance of Curaçao
- Liability Law for Motor Vehicles Curaçao
In these regulations, it is mentioned for example, what the design requirements are that your vehicle must meet. Herein the obligation to have insurance for a vehicle with which you move on the road is also mentioned, as well as that you must pay road taxes.
The person, who does not comply with the laws or regulations, commits either an offense (which is a light criminal offense) or a crime (a criminal offense on which imprisonment may be imposed).
With violations it does not matter whether you did it on purpose; in criminal offenses it does.
When an offense or a crime is ascertained, in certain cases the police may write a Summoning Official Police Report (offense notification for violation), or draw up an Official Police Report. This is sent to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The Public Prosecution has guidelines for settling such matters. In some cases, you will have the option to pay for a transaction to prevent that your case will end up before the criminal Court Judge. In the Public Prosecution’s guidelines, the amount of the transaction is stipulated. You can also find those amounts (at the rear) of the Official Police Report.
If you do not pay the transaction offered (in a timely manner), then the case will be submitted to the criminal Court Judge. At the hearing, the Public Prosecutor will demand a penalty that is higher than the transaction amount.
If you have any questions about the traffic regulations and/or a received traffic ticket, you can contact the Staff of the Public Prosecutor’s Office Curaçao.