Have the police stopped fining drivers?
There have been patrols, but few fines. Photo: Kristinn Ingvarsson
So far this month, police have reported 59 traffic offences to the National Commissioner of Icelandic Police. The October average for 2010-14 was 1,625 offences.
Similarly, just 574 offences were reported in September, as compared to a previous September average of 1,617.
Sources report that these spectacular drops in traffic offences are not the result of a sudden collective effort to drive more responsibly – rather a form of unofficial industrial action whereby police are simply not bothering to fine offenders.
The Icelandic police – together with other civil servants – have in recent weeks and months been in a pay and working conditions dispute with the State. Under Icelandic law, however, they are not entitled to simply go out on strike.
This has led them to find more inventive ways of taking action, including – apparently – not fining drivers for traffic offences.
Since September, while police patrols remain, drivers have not been fined for speeding, using their mobile phone while driving, driving without a seatbelt, or driving an unroadworthy car.
Drink-driving offences have been reported, and likely make up most of the 59 offences registered so far this month.
This new ‘freedom’ for unscrupulous drivers may not, however, last into November as the police union struck a new pay deal with the State in the early hours of this morning.
