Saudi Arabia: Motorists to get SR6,000 fine for swerving on the road

Cairo: Traffic authorities in Saudi Arabia have warned motorists against swerving on the road as the country is seeking to curb road crashes.

The kingdom’s General Directorate of Traffic said swerving among cars on the road is an offence punishable by fines ranging from SR3,000 up to SR6,000.

Swerving makes the motorist lose control of the car and causes accidents, it added.

Saudi Arabia has recently toughened penalties for traffic offences to reduce road accidents.

Last month, the Saudi traffic authorities said that fines ranging from SR100 to SR150 would be slapped on motorists who fail to give a priority to pedestrians using their designated crossings.

Authorities also warned that using a cellphone at the wheel is an offence punishable by a fine of up to SR900, while driving a vehicle with an unclear or damaged number plate is a traffic infringement punishable by fines of SR1,000 to 2,000.

Saudi media has recently reported several deadly accidents in the country.

Earlier this month, a bus flipped over in Al Wajh governorate in north-western Saudi Arabia, leaving four people dead and seven others wounded.

Last month, six members of one Saudi family were killed in a car crash on a road linking the holy city of Medina and Al Mahd gov-ernorate.

In March, 21 Umrah pilgrims were killed and 29 others injured when their bus turned over in the south-western Asir re-gion.

Traffic fatalities have dropped by around 35 per cent in the kingdom in five years from 2016.

The annual cost of traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia is estimated at around SR11.7 billion.