The XV National Road Safety Week began on Tuesday 25 with various activities throughout the country under the slogan “Points for life.” The main axis is the imminent implementation of the national driving license by points, a credit of trust that society grants to drivers who respect the rules of coexistence, highlighted the head of the National Road Safety Unit (Unasev), Alejandro Draper.
The opening ceremony was held in the assembly hall of the Executive Tower with speeches by the Minister of Transport and Public Works, José Luis Falero; the president of Unasev, Alejandro Draper; the president of the Congress of Mayors, Guillermo López, and the general director of Traffic in Spain, Pere Navarro, in virtual format. Also present were the Minister of Education and Culture, Pablo da Silveira; the undersecretary of the portfolio, Ana Ribeiro; the Undersecretary of Transport, Juan José Olaizola, and the Director General of the Presidency, Hebert Paguas.
In his speech, Draper reviewed the main actions carried out by Unasev during 2022, among which he highlighted the agreement with the Rural Association of Uruguay (ARU) to participate in Expo Prado 2022, in order to raise awareness about accident prevention and the Road Safety Education Plan, in coordination with the National Public Education Administration (ANEP) and its subsystems through the Content and Resources for Education and Learning (CREA) platform.
In addition, he highlighted the work to regulate traffic law 19,824, which will allow the implementation of the Single National Driving Permit (PUNC), under the “points permit” modality. In this sense, he pointed out that it will be a recognition for drivers who respect the rules of coexistence and a way to protect them from those who do not.
Finally, he maintained that work is also being done to unify criteria and regulate driving academies, traffic licenses, theoretical and practical tests, point recovery procedures, national values of traffic and transportation fines in a unique way at the national level.
Falero, meanwhile, specified that from the portfolio he directs, actions have been developed to reverse the indicators of road accidents. In that sense, he said that efforts are being made to adapt the infrastructure to the needs of current traffic and that an important public investment was made for this.
The works contemplate an increase of 642 new kilometers of route; double lanes and third lanes on national routes, closure of roundabouts, passages in new bridges and tunnels, interchanges, return docks, construction of cross routes for a better distribution of traffic and guarded roads for greater safety.
“Investment in road infrastructure was very necessary,” he said, adding that an improvement in the road network generates greater distribution, comfort in circulation, less risk and, consequently, a reduction in traffic accidents.
On the other hand, he said that they are working together with Unasev on the National Radar Plan that involves the survey of the so-called “red points” and the subsequent installation of 177 radars throughout the national territory.
In his turn, López stressed that the Congress of Mayors is directly responsible for what refers to coexistence in traffic and considered that it will play a fundamental role in the implementation of policies on road safety.
He reviewed some of the measures developed by the agency, such as the unification of fines, infractions and the single national vehicle registry to advance in the implementation of the Single National Driving Permit. In this regard, he explained that only a few operational aspects remain and that a simple, efficient system that is close to the driver is intended.
The XV Week of Road Safety will take place until Friday, October 28 with various meetings between Local Road Safety Units (Ulosev) and organizations linked to the subject to exchange and plan future actions, as well as a simulation of a traffic accident in the city of Pando, with attention and resolution of its consequences.
