Los medios alternativos de solución de conflictos en las infracciones de tránsito

Traffic violations in Ecuador represent a high volume of cases for prosecutors and judges to resolve in accordance with the procedures established in the criminal sphere, which has resulted in the judicial system being overloaded with cases that, when compared to the serious crime that occurs in the territory, actually make the traffic violation irrelevant from the point of view of its dangerousness. Generally, the perpetrators of crimes and negligent traffic violations are people who easily understand the unfavorable consequences of their criminal behavior and can make amends without having to serve a prison sentence. Meanwhile, the criminal system is unable to deal with the facts of corruption, international drug trafficking, contract killings, money laundering, human trafficking, and other manifestations that destabilize the economy, politics, and national security. In this context, it is necessary to insist on the need to reduce the judicial overload that occurs due to challenges to traffic violations and other infractions that can be subjected to alternative methods of conflict resolution. Not only conciliation is viable to achieve a culture of peace, but also mediation, since Ecuador has taken care to train and require better preparation of mediators. The results of this study show the feasibility of using these means of conflict resolution and of removing traffic violations from the penal system to resolve them through extra-penal means.