During the Christmas season, controls are intensified on the country’s roads. Follow traffic laws to avoid setbacks and report bad elements to the institutions in charge of traffic in the country. Remember that there are local measures that are suspended so that they are not surprised.
1.- The metropolitan agents are the only ones who carry out controls in the cities that assumed this competence. The policemen remain in the national axes and the agents of the Ecuadorian Transit Commission on the Guayas (except Guayaquil) El Oro, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo, Santa Elena and Esmeraldas roads.
two-. When in doubt about the legality of a control, drivers can ask for the “work order” and identification of the officials who participate in it. The traffic lawyer, Danny Gaibor, pointed out that this document, necessary for an operation, is issued by the institutions that control traffic in the country.
3.- Gaibor comments that in case of detecting irregularities, do not confront the people who simulate the control and instead call 911 to report the case. In this line you will be able to obtain more information about the presence of uniformed men in the area.
4.- You cannot be fined if you have an expired license since January 1, 2020. This is stated in a resolution of the National Transit Agency. Note that You must bring the physical document (even if it is expired); the theft report, if applicable; and the printed shift for the renewal of the document.
5.- From the moment an agent or police orders the arrest of a vehicle, the driver or the occupants can record. This is established by Art. 471 of the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code (Coip). No judicial authorization is required to turn on the phone’s camera. The registered will serve for future claims.
6.- Traffic officers or police officers who ask for money in exchange for “not retaining the vehicle” or “not issuing the fine” commit concussion. This crime is punishable by up to seven years in prison. The Coip establishes that the evidence obtained as videos must be brought before a tax agent.
7.- It is mandatory to carry a first-aid kit, which must have: antiseptic alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, gauze, cotton, bandages, porous tape, painkillers, scissorss and latex gloves. In case of not having it, the penalty is $ 40. That is regulated in art. 170 of the Regulations to the Traffic Law. Remember that your car cannot be detained for this.
8.- It is mandatory have a fire extinguisher with a minimum capacity of 10 kilograms of dry chemical powder, a toolbox with a flashlight, a set of screwdrivers, pliers, a set of wrenches, power cables, electrical tape and two safety triangles (reflective). The fine for not loading them in the car is $ 40.
9.- Be careful because they can retain the vehicle if it does not have a license plate. The Regulations to the Traffic Law indicate that no vehicle may circulate without having the valid registration. In case of having an expired registration, the agents will proceed to apprehend the motor vehicle until its owner presents the cancellation of the pending values.
10.- Art. 383 of the Coip does penalize the driver who circulates con tires in bad condition. This means that the tires cannot be smooth or in bad condition. Be careful because there is a custodial sentence of five to fifteen days and a reduction of five points in the driver’s license.
