Kuwait: Man sentenced to jail for crashing into estranged wife's car

Cairo: A Kuwaiti court sentenced a citizen to one year in prison for chasing his wife's car and deliberately crashing into it.

The incident occurred last October when the man rammed into his spouse's car on a road in the Ahmadi governorate, south of Kuwait City, according to Al Anba newspaper.

The Misdemeanor Court issued its ruling on three interrelated charges: deliberately damaging the victim's car with intent to harm, reckless driving endangering himself and others, and disrupting traffic. The ruling is subject to appeal.

The case unfolded after his wife filed a legal complaint, stating that while she was with her brother, sister, and children, the husband spotted and chased their car. He intentionally crashed into it several times to forcefully stop them due to ongoing family disputes. It is unclear whether his actions resulted in any casualties.

Kuwait is set to enforce a new traffic code in April, replacing the current law enacted in 1976. The new code includes stringent penalties and hefty fines aimed at curbing reckless driving and improving road safety.

Under the new law, the fine for using a mobile phone while driving increases from KD5 ($16.2) to KD75, while the penalty for not wearing a seat belt triples to KD30. The fine for reckless driving increases significantly from KD30 to KD150.

The penalty for running a red light will be elevated from a misdemeanor to a felony, punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of up to KD1,000.

Traffic accidents in Kuwait, a country of 4.9 million people, resulted in 284 deaths last year, including 11 children.