Kuwait introduces hefty 150 dinar fine for red light violations
Fines include 70 dinars for mobile phone use while driving, 30 for not wearing a seatbelt, and 150 for parking in a special needs space, while expatriates are now limited to owning a single vehicle.
• Reckless driving and road racing now incur fines of 150 dinars, while using a phone while driving costs 70 dinars. Parking violations carry fines of 15 dinars, and drunk driving penalties rise to 5,000 dinars and up to three years in prison.
Major General Youssef Al-Khada, Undersecretary of the Traffic and Operations Sector at the Ministry of Interior, announced the completion of the amendment draft for the new traffic law, which has been submitted to the Council of Ministers by Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior. This submission follows thorough reviews by the Fatwa and Legislation Department, the Public Prosecution, and the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, and it will be discussed and adopted at the next Council of Ministers meeting, as reported by Al Anba newspaper.
Major General Al-Khada explained during his appearance on the program “60 Minutes” on Kuwait TV that the amendments to the traffic law, issued in 1976, are necessary due to the high rate of accidents, which ranks second in Kuwait after heart disease. He noted that the penalties from 1976 are no longer sufficient and that stronger deterrents are needed to reduce road incidents.
Major General Al-Khada confirmed that the amendments to the traffic law include significant increases in fines. The penalty for reckless driving has risen from 30 dinars to 150 dinars, while running a red light has gone up from 50 dinars to 150 dinars, and not wearing a seatbelt has increased from 10 dinars to 30 dinars.
Additionally, fines for road racing and speeding are now set at 150 dinars, and the penalty for using a phone while driving has risen from five dinars to 70 dinars. Parking violations now carry fines of 15 dinars, up from fivedinars.
Al-Khada stated that statistics from the General Directorate of Traffic indicate Kuwait experiences over 300 traffic accidents daily, with 30 resulting in injuries. Unfortunately, 90% of these accidents stem from inattention, phone use, recklessness, and carelessness. If these violations go to court, judges can impose fines ranging from 600 dinars to 1,000 dinars, along with potential imprisonment of one to two years.
He emphasized that serious violations, including running a red light and improper parking in spaces designated for people with special needs, have also seen increased fines, now set at 150 dinars, up from 100 dinars.
Major General Al-Khada announced the installation of 100 cameras at traffic-congested intersections to monitor and penalize motorists who disregard traffic signals and bypass stop signs.
He emphasized a new article addressing impaired driving, which has been categorized into three levels:
- First category: Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, with fines ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 dinars and imprisonment for one to two years.
- Second category: Causing property damage while impaired, with fines between 2,000 and 3,000 dinars and imprisonment for 1.5 to two years.
- Third category: Causing injury while impaired, with penalties yet to be specified.
Al-Khada stated that a traffic detective department operates around the clock, monitoring social media for clips of traffic violators. When violations are identified, offenders are summoned and legal action is taken per traffic law.
He also noted that Kuwait has around 2.9 million licenses and approximately 2.5 million vehicles. Consequently, some laws have been amended to limit non-Kuwaitis to owning just one car, replacing the previous unrestricted ownership policy.
