Janjušević: We sanctioned individuals 150-160 times, and they were involved in traffic accidents again

In the first five months of this year, 30 people were killed on the roads in Montenegro, which is double the number compared to the same period last year, while this month alone, five traffic participants died.

At the same time, the police have sanctioned over 100 drivers since the beginning of the year, but they note that the system for collecting fines is inadequate and is not producing the expected results.

Ilija Janjušević from the Police Directorate said in tonight's Reflektor show on Vijesti Television that the complete project for the implementation of the stationary radar system is complete and contracted with the Hungarian Government, but that due to the change of government in that country, a contract revision is now pending, which could take a month or perhaps a year.

This depends on when stationary radars will finally record speed on Montenegrin roads, as stipulated in the new Law on Road Traffic Safety, which also provides for harsher penalties and has been waiting in parliamentary filings for adoption for four months.

While the radars require an investment of around 12 million euros, experts explain that traffic accidents cost the state much more annually.

"We have sanctioned certain participants 150-160 times, and after all that, they were involved in accidents again. We must have prevention, we must have repression. It would be completely logical, so this year we have 40 percent more sanctioned drivers. It would be completely logical to have a reduction in the number of traffic accidents and fatalities. In addition to all the additional efforts we have made, we have one hundred and one thousand sanctioned people. And you have twice as many fatalities. So, that tells you the best that the penal policy must change. We must have efficient forced collection. We have a situation where if a police officer who has been on the street for 12 or 15 hours does not respond to the judge's call, the judge suspends the proceedings. And we wonder why we are here. Why is everyone asking the police what the situation is? So, I responsibly claim that everyone is working to the extent that the police are working, so that we would have a much better situation," said Janjušević.

Boško Matović, assistant professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Podgorica, said that we have approximately 200 million euros in losses annually due to traffic accidents.

"So, that's the least we can estimate. If you take the situation that the previous highway cost us a billion, we could have built a new section of the highway in five years. Just for the costs we had from traffic accidents that happen every year," said Matović.