The huge number of horrific traffic accidents caused by novice drivers indicates that the system is making serious mistakes somewhere. The State Ministry of Communications and Transport announces concrete changes in the process of taking driving tests. Some may even lose their jobs.
Three years of driving experience, high school and only 45 hours of additional training. That’s how much separates an ordinary driver from the title of instructor in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While experts warn of alarmingly low criteria, at the same time, it best illustrates who is educating future road users and why we have over 30,000 accidents a year.
“One candidate for category B has more hours of training, when you add it all up. Of course, it’s not enough for an instructor, not enough. In Croatia, for example, to get a license, you have a fund of about 1,500 hours. We can put a stop there,” said Edin Begić from the Association of Driving Schools of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The current rulebook dates back to 2007. Since then, this area has been totally neglected, and the consequences are catastrophic, warn the instructors. The Ministry of Communications and Transport is also aware that this must change. At least they made it clear at the round table talking to the profession. They are announcing numerous changes, and among them is a change in the criteria for obtaining the title of instructor.
“We want digitization, from the application procedure to the catalog of questions. We want a dynamic process, we want to enable foreigners to adequately pass the driving test. There is a provision, beginners will not agree with it, that when drivers have only obtained their license for two years, due to four penalty points, their driving license is revoked, and the driving test is annulled”, added Zoran Andrić, Assistant Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The process of harmonizing regulations is currently underway. It is now being actively discussed with the academic community. Data on the number of traffic accidents warn that we can no longer wait for serious changes. During one year, more than 11,000 people are injured, while 27,000 accidents with serious material damage occur.
“If 200 people died for another reason, it would be a cataclysm, the country would turn upside down, and we are silent on this fact. I almost read a report from one of the countries that invest in infrastructure and education… Helsinki had 0 deaths”, explained Edin Forto, Minister of Communications and Transport of BiH.
We are very far from such statistics, while novice drivers are among the most frequent participants in traffic accidents. The ministry also announces a review of the concept itself, in which the commission gives the final approval for driving. Different practices across the country are also a problem.
“All this needs to be reconciled in a set of regulations, to ensure that the training of candidates is carried out in a unique way on the territory of BiH. A rather complicated task”, said Zoran Andrić from the Ministry of Communications and Transport of BiH.
Statistics constantly warn of how important this task is. If the whole area was not meaningless, and if the profession were to be asked, the Association of Driving Schools is sure, the number of traffic accidents would drop rapidly.
“There is no doubt about that, if you put science at the head of a field, then you can expect good results. Unfortunately, until now, this entire segment, the driving school… is of low political interest. We have been pointing out numerous problems for years, but so far we have not had an interlocutor,” said Edin Begić from the BiH Driving School Association.
The ministry says that serious changes can be expected. At the same time, the prices of driver’s licenses are increasing from 100 to 200 KM. Amendments to laws and regulations will certainly, say our interlocutors, result in non-professional instructors and members of the commission being out of the profession, writes Zenith.
