KUWAIT CITY, April 15: In a final push before the implementation of the new traffic law on April 22, Kuwait’s General Traffic Department has ramped up its nationwide enforcement campaigns to promote road discipline and enhance public safety. According to official statistics released for the period of April 5 to 11, a total of 56,708 traffic violations were recorded.

As part of the crackdown, 110 juveniles were referred to the Juvenile Prosecution for operating vehicles without valid driver’s licenses, and the respective vehicle owners were summoned for questioning. Additionally, 39 individuals were referred to the traffic police for committing serious offenses. Authorities also impounded 29 vehicles and motorcycles apprehended 48 individuals wanted for various offenses, and recovered 46 vehicles linked to breach of trust and theft cases.

Law enforcement also detained two individuals found in abnormal conditions and five others for driving under similar circumstances; all were referred to the General Department for Drug Control.

During the same period, traffic officers responded to 1,480 road accidents, 278 of which resulted in injuries or fatalities.

Cumulative traffic statistics for the first quarter of 2024 indicate a total of 1,049,382 violations. These include 332,536 for speeding, 30,190 for mobile phone use while driving, 24,738 for running red lights, and 70,708 for failure to wear seat belts.

The department also highlighted the current infrastructure supporting traffic monitoring and enforcement, which includes 205 fixed surveillance cameras, 7 mobile units, 355 overtaking detection cameras, 20 point-to-point speed cameras, 161 digital message boards, 252 cameras for detecting seat belt and mobile phone violations, and 355 additional fixed monitoring cameras.

Tragically, traffic accidents in the first quarter claimed the lives of 65 individuals, underscoring the urgency and importance of ongoing traffic reform efforts.