KUWAIT CITY, Oct 15: Assistant Director General of the General Traffic Department for Technical Affairs, Brigadier General Muhammad Al-Adwani, shared concerning statistics about traffic accidents in Kuwait.

He emphasized the need for stricter penalties to deter reckless behavior among vehicle drivers and ultimately save lives on Kuwaiti roads and highways.

Al-Adwani stressed that tackling the traffic issue requires a collaborative effort involving legislation and responsible driving. He pointed to the three primary causes of traffic accidents: the vehicle, the driver, and the road, and added, that alarming accident rates in Kuwait highlight the urgency of their efforts to improve road safety and minimize accidents, reports Al-Jarida Daily.

Al-Adwani disclosed that a significant 92 percent of traffic accidents are attributable to the behavior of vehicle drivers and said he is confident that increasing traffic penalties will enhance public awareness and ultimately reduce recklessness on the roads, emphasizing that the aim is not to burden citizens financially.

In response to reckless driving witnessed in neighboring countries, he said, the Technical Affairs Sector of the General Traffic Department has initiated the “Black Points” project. This initiative identifies accident-prone areas, enabling a focused approach to address the root causes of accidents.

Al-Adwani acknowledged three prevalent traffic problems worldwide: traffic accidents, congestion, and environmental pollution, with accidents being the most concerning due to their severe consequences. Kuwait, unfortunately, ranks high in accident-related deaths within the Gulf Cooperation Council, highlighting the need for urgent action to address the issue.

He emphasized the role of the General Traffic Department in mitigating accidents and underlined the importance of comprehensive solutions involving legislation and responsible driving. Current penalties for traffic violations have proven ineffective, necessitating an increase to effectively deter violations and reduce accidents.

Drawing from experiences in other Gulf countries, Al-Adwani advocated for harsher penalties to reshape traffic behavior positively. He cited successful instances where increased penalties, alongside enhanced traffic control measures, notably reduced accident rates and fatalities in Kuwait.

Contrary to past trends, recent years have seen a decline in traffic accident deaths due to the implementation of stringent traffic control measures, such as increased surveillance and patrols. Al-Adwani also highlighted severe penalties imposed in certain Gulf countries to deter specific violations, further emphasizing the need for stricter regulations in Kuwait.

Addressing concerning trends, he pointed out the issue of underage driving, emphasizing the necessity of imposing significant penalties to deter this dangerous practice. The severity of penalties elsewhere serves as a model to discourage violations and improve road safety in Kuwait.

For example he said, there are severe penalties punishable by law and legal provisions that prevent them, such as crossing red lights, speeding, recklessness, and performing races.

The GTD Assistant Director General revealed that there are severe penalties in one of the Gulf countries, indicating that this is intended to deter violations. He added that the penalty for anyone participating in car races without a permit from the police in that country is equivalent to about 8,000 Kuwaiti dinars. As for the violation of someone driving a car who is under 18 years of age, which is one of our major problems and has reached the point of phenomenon, it was stated that the penalty in that particular country is equivalent to 4,000 dinars.