Petition No.: 84 Signatures: 1260
Fourteenth Legislature (2022 - 2026 )
Details - Online
Title
Reform of Traffic Laws for Reckless Driving Fatalities
Date
19-02-2026
Date petition closes for signatures
24-04-2026
Creator of petition
DIMITRINKA KRASTEVA KOSEVA
Grievance
To the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives,
The undersigned petitioners submit that the current Traffic Regulation Ordinance (Cap. 65) contains fundamental gaps that deny justice to victims and families of fatal road collisions. Specifically, we bring the following grievances to the attention of the House:
Inequity of Sentencing: Current judicial practices frequently allow drivers who kill through reckless actions (such as illegal maneuvers or extreme speeding) to receive suspended sentences. This suggests that a life taken by a "sober" reckless driver is of less value than one taken by an "intoxicated" driver, which is a moral and legal failure.
The Privilege of Driving: Under the current system, individuals charged with causing death through gross negligence are often permitted to retain their driving license for years while court cases and magisterial inquiries remain pending. This presents an ongoing danger to the public and a grave insult to the victims’ families.
The "Limbo" of Inquiries: The absence of strict, legally mandated deadlines for the conclusion of Magisterial Inquiries into road fatalities often leaves families in a state of emotional and legal "limbo" for years, delaying the start of criminal proceedings and the serving of justice.
Inadequate Deterrence: The existing laws fail to provide the Police with sufficient powers of immediate detention in the immediate aftermath of a fatal crash where gross negligence is evident, failing to treat the car as the potentially lethal weapon it becomes in reckless hands.
Wherefore, we the petitioners believe that Bill No. 163 must be strengthened to ensure that a driving license is never treated as a "licence to kill" and that justice for victims like Tenyo Kosev is swift, effective, and certain.
The undersigned petitioners submit that the current Traffic Regulation Ordinance (Cap. 65) contains fundamental gaps that deny justice to victims and families of fatal road collisions. Specifically, we bring the following grievances to the attention of the House:
Inequity of Sentencing: Current judicial practices frequently allow drivers who kill through reckless actions (such as illegal maneuvers or extreme speeding) to receive suspended sentences. This suggests that a life taken by a "sober" reckless driver is of less value than one taken by an "intoxicated" driver, which is a moral and legal failure.
The Privilege of Driving: Under the current system, individuals charged with causing death through gross negligence are often permitted to retain their driving license for years while court cases and magisterial inquiries remain pending. This presents an ongoing danger to the public and a grave insult to the victims’ families.
The "Limbo" of Inquiries: The absence of strict, legally mandated deadlines for the conclusion of Magisterial Inquiries into road fatalities often leaves families in a state of emotional and legal "limbo" for years, delaying the start of criminal proceedings and the serving of justice.
Inadequate Deterrence: The existing laws fail to provide the Police with sufficient powers of immediate detention in the immediate aftermath of a fatal crash where gross negligence is evident, failing to treat the car as the potentially lethal weapon it becomes in reckless hands.
Wherefore, we the petitioners believe that Bill No. 163 must be strengthened to ensure that a driving license is never treated as a "licence to kill" and that justice for victims like Tenyo Kosev is swift, effective, and certain.
Wherefore I/we respectfully request the House of Representatives to
Wherefore I/we respectfully request the House of Representatives to:"
Mandate Effective Prison Sentences: Amend the law to ensure that suspended sentences are no longer an option for drivers found guilty of causing death through gross negligence, reckless speeding, or dangerous maneuvers, regardless of sobriety.
Enact Immediate License Revocation: Introduce an administrative mechanism that allows for the immediate and mandatory suspension of a driving license the moment an individual is charged with a road fatality.
Strengthen Police Detention Powers: Grant the Police the authority to detain drivers for a minimum period immediately following a fatal collision where evidence of gross reckless behavior is present.
Enforce Inquiry Deadlines: Establish a statutory maximum timeframe of six months for the conclusion of Magisterial Inquiries into road deaths, ensuring families are not left without answers for years.
Mandate Effective Prison Sentences: Amend the law to ensure that suspended sentences are no longer an option for drivers found guilty of causing death through gross negligence, reckless speeding, or dangerous maneuvers, regardless of sobriety.
Enact Immediate License Revocation: Introduce an administrative mechanism that allows for the immediate and mandatory suspension of a driving license the moment an individual is charged with a road fatality.
Strengthen Police Detention Powers: Grant the Police the authority to detain drivers for a minimum period immediately following a fatal collision where evidence of gross reckless behavior is present.
Enforce Inquiry Deadlines: Establish a statutory maximum timeframe of six months for the conclusion of Magisterial Inquiries into road deaths, ensuring families are not left without answers for years.
Closing remarks
"And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray."