Armenia plans to give drivers more points for violations, but tighten fines

YEREVAN, February 20. /ARKA/. The Armenian government has approved a bill initiated by National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan to change the system of violations for drivers. Under this proposal, the number of points awarded to drivers at the beginning of each year will be increased from 9 to 13.

As reported by Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan, the changes also aim to expand the list of violations for which drivers will have points deducted. For actions deemed socially dangerous, such as running a red light, driving in the oncoming lane, or using a phone while driving, the number of points deducted will be increased.

Sargsyan stated that the bill is expected to come into force on May 1, 2025. From that date, all drivers will have their points reset to zero. For instance, if a driver currently has 2 points out of 9, they will have 13 points starting May 1. However, drivers who have completely exhausted their points by that time will not receive new points and will need to undergo the process to restore their driving rights, as they did previously.

At the same time, Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan pointed out that, at present, using a phone while driving is limited to talking, but an even greater issue is texting or browsing social media while behind the wheel. The meeting participants reached a consensus that changes should be made to better address this dangerous situation.