Kuwait's new traffic law explained: Tougher penalties, expats limited to one car and jail for red-light violations

Cairo: A new traffic law in Kuwait, introducing tough penalties to reduce road accidents in the country, is due to go into effect on Tuesday amid a multilingual awareness campaign.

The code, replacing a 1976 law, authorises traffic police to arrest offenders in severe offences and hikes up fines.

Traffic police will be mandated to arrest offenders in specific cases including driving under the influence of drinking or drugs; causing an accident resulting in injury or death; involvement in a car race without a permit; and attempting to escape following an accident or in the event of failure to respond to a police order to stop.

Other cases are exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h; driving a buggy in non-designated places; driving past a red-light signal; using a vehicle for a purpose other than its specified one or to transport passengers without a permit; driving recklessly or without a licence, or with a revoked or suspended licence; and driving without the Kuwaiti licence plates.

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. Reckless driving is penalized by a fine of KD150 instead of 30.

Illegal usage of parking spaces designated for people with disabilities is fined by KD150 in the new law against KD10 previously.

The penalty for driving past a red light is toughened from a misdemeanor to a felony. This offence is punishable by up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of KD1,000.

Expatriates will be only allowed to own one car under the new law whereby the foreign motorist faces deportation if he/she repeats serious traffic violations, Kuwaiti officials have said.

The law, meanwhile, incorporates alternative penalties such as community service as the judge deems fit.

The alternative penalty will be issued in line with the violator’s profession. Work in community service could be for up to one year, for eight hours a day, and without pay.

The list of the alternative penalties includes obligating the offender to repair the damage caused by his/her serious infringement to public property at his/her own expense.

The judge can combine more than one service penalty that becomes effective upon the issuance of the ruling.

To promote awareness of the traffic and legal amendments, Kuwaiti au-thorities have launched a campaign in several languages, namely English, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu and Filipino.

Kuwait, a country of 4.9 million people mostly expatriates, records between 200 and 300 traffic accidents per day. Some 90% of accidents are caused by inattention while driving.

Traffic accidents in Kuwait resulted last year in 284 deaths against 296 in 2023, according to official figures.