The resumption of enforcement with new radars in Vila Velha has sparked debates among drivers and residents of the city. More than just the imposition of fines, the controversy exposes a deeper discussion about urban mobility, road safety, and the use of public space.
According to architect and urban planner Murillo Paoli, the debate has been conducted in a distorted manner, without questioning the central point of traffic policy.
“Today the discussion is much more focused on the fine that the radar can generate. But we need to ask: are people outraged by the financial penalty or by the fact that a speed controller induces the driver to be more cautious, preventing them from running a red light or exceeding the speed limit?” he provocatively states.
According to him, when dissatisfaction is solely concentrated on the fine, there are urban alternatives that can help reduce conflicts in traffic. “There are strategies for speed reduction and urban design that make the space safer and more pleasant for everyone, not just for those who are driving,” he explains. “A speed reducer, of any nature, ensures that more means of mobility, whether individual, collective, motorized or not, gain space and safety to circulate in the city.”
On the other hand, Paoli notes that if the resistance is to speed control itself, the debate changes in nature.
“When the problem becomes the radar that monitors, the discussion shifts from being about the city and safety to being about maintaining unrestricted individual freedom in traffic, the idea that the driver should have the right to drive as they wish, without being policed by automatic devices. In this case, improving urban space ceases to be a priority,” he analyzes. “If the driver is outraged by the fine being paid, we can start demanding other types of speed reducers. What we cannot allow is the advancement of individuality that restricts groups who do not share the use of this private means of transport, whether by condition or by choice.”
Data released in recent articles in newspapers from ES show that, according to the Vila Velha city hall, during the initial operating period of the radars, there were no recorded accidents with victims at the monitored points — a scenario very different from the historical average recorded in these locations. For the urban planner, numbers like these reinforce the importance of public policies based on prevention.
“Traffic cannot be thought of solely from the flow of vehicles, but from the coexistence between cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and residents. Road safety is, above all, a matter of urban planning,” he asserts.
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