New law helped reduce traffic accidents: Minister

Manama : The new traffic law and smart systems to monitor violations, including crossing the red signal, have contributed to reduction of fatal accidents in the Kingdom, Interior Minister, Lt-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, said here yesterday.

Delivering a speech on the 33rd Gulf Traffic Week that will commence today the Minister said that the enforcement of traffic law 23 of 2014 has led to reduction of accidents by 40 per cent in 2016 compared with 2015. The number of accident-related deaths were 47 last year, while 76 fatalities were reported in 2015, he said.

“Such positive results within the first year of the law enforcement makes us look forward to the future in terms of reinforcement of traffic culture based on following the law and instructions out of conviction and not out of fear of punishments,” he said.

The new law takes into account gradually imposing punishment and the point system, and facilitate steps of renewing driving and vehicle licences as well as the payment of traffic fines and interact with drivers through text messages, he said. 

He called upon road users, drivers and pedestrians to follow the law, ensure the safety of vehicles and benefit from the traffic awareness programmes of the Interior Ministry and other organisations.

Bahrain joined the rest of Gulf countries to celebrate the 33rd Gulf Traffic Week marked under the theme “Protect Your Life”. “This theme reminds us of the risks of driving and the importance of following traffic  rules to protect our lives. We should protect ourselves for our families and nation. Traffic accidents-caused deaths, injuries and damages waste human energies and financial capabilities,” the Minister said.

The development in road networks including bridges and tunnels haven’t stopped fatal accidents. The positive results of traffic safety awareness campaigns haven’t been enough to avoid traffic risks. The Gulf Traffic Week is an opportunity to rethink of many wrong practices, including reckless driving, he added.