Your Weekly Law Clinic
MANY PEOPLE need to not know that traffic offence is a criminal offence which involves a driver’s conduct on the road. Some examples of traffic offences include:
Dangerous Driving: Driving in a way that falls below the standard of a careful driver, and could endanger yourself or others. This includes:
- Speeding
- Driving aggressively
- Racing
- Overtaking dangerously
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Ignoring traffic lights, road signs or warning.
- Driving when unfit, such as when injured or unwell.
Careless Driving includes the following:
- A general poor standard of driving
- Using a mobile phone while driving
- Driving without consideration for other road users.
- Driving without consideration for personal safety and others in a vehicle. ;like ignoring the use of seat belts).
In fact, the Lagos State Government has made the following changes to traffic offences and their penalties and have published them for public awareness:
- Driving without a Driver’s licence – Impound vehicle.
- Driving of any vehicle by person under 18 – N30,000.
- Driving with fake number plates – N30,000, 3 years in prison.
- Driving with forged vehicle particulars – 6 months in prison.
- Driving with fake driver’s licence – 6 months in prison.
- Driving without road worthiness – Impound vehicle.
- Driving only yellow – N80,000. Enforce painting.
- Driving without Hackney permit – Impound vehicle.
- No display of Hackney permit – Impound vehicle.
- Kabu Kabu without permit – Impound vehicle.
- Disobeying LASTMA Officer – N30,000/Impound vehicle.
- Neglect of traffic direction light – 3 months in prison.
- Smoking while driving – N30,000/Impound vehicle.
- Physically assault traffic officer – N50,000/6 months in prison.
- Driving without full light – N50,000.
- Driving with worn out tyre – N30,000.
- Driving without spare tyre – N30,000
- Driving smoking vehicle – N30,000
- No fire extinguisher – N30,000
- Broken windscreen – N30,000
- Tinted windscreen – N30,000
- Eating and driving with one hand – 3 months in prison.
- One way driving – 3 years in prison
- Driving without fastening seat Belt– N30,000
- Not painting a commercial vehicle the approved colour – N50,000
- No car hire service permit – 1st 20,000; 2nd N30,000, Impound vehicle.
- Parking on yellow line on any public highway/illegal parking – 1st N20,000; subsequent N30,000
- Vehicle crossing double yellow line/center line – 1st N20,000; subsequent N30,000.
- Staying within the yellow junction box (offside rule) – 1st N20,000; subsequent N30,000
- Failure to yield to right of the way of pedestrian at zebra crossing – 1st N20,000; subsequent N30,000
- Failure to give to traffic on the left at a roundabout – 1st N20,000; subsequent N30,000.
- Driving on walkway or kerb – Impound.
- Reversing on the highway & parking on walkways – 50,000 naira
- Obstruction of traffic -20,000 naira
- Picking/Dropping passengers on illegal B/stop -50,000 naira
- Driving on BRT lanes – 70,000 naira.
Ignorance is not an excuse!
Let us all obey all traffic laws and drive responsibly.
Dr George Ogunjimi, a Juris Republic, can be contacted via: jurisrepubliclegal@gmail.com and 0811 887 5482.
