Urgent call to strictly enforce traffic laws in Bahrain

TDT | Manama                                                   

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com    

Reported by Julia Cassano

Car accidents are a fact of life. However, impatient and careless drivers can increase the probability of accidents on the roads, which residents and citizens are now calling out on social media platforms.

Social media users in Bahrain are urging drivers to pay more attention on the roads as many continue to experience erratic behaviour by drivers, especially during rush hour. The Daily Tribune has previously reported that the influx of people on the roads has increased the traffic time and chaos, which can cause drivers to become impatient and irrational.

Netizens say that authorities should either raise the standards for passing the driving test or improve public transportation, which would lessen the number of people on the roads. A grave issue the Kingdom has recently been experiencing is traffic chaos as more drivers enter the roads.

And the amount of traffic daily commuters experience sparks frustration across the country. They also said that although driving instructors teach the right standards for driving, there is a lack of enforcement of the rules on the roads.

One user shared that to ensure drivers are adhering to traffic laws, authorities should enact proper enforcement to keep all citizens and residents safe. The World Health Organisation confirms this as they said that national road safety strategies have been set in place to urge those on the roads to drive more safely.

However, the report adds that public compliance with these laws is generally poor. This means that although national road safety strategies have been implemented, laws must be enforced properly to ensure the safety of drivers.

“There is no enforcement of the rules on the roads,” an online user shared in a discussion. They said that they see many drivers speeding in the emergency lanes, using their phones, and failing to adhere to basic traffic rules like using blinkers. Nevertheless, netizens discussed how to tackle this issue.

They explained that now when they see a driver not following proper road laws and strategies, such as using the emergency lane to skip the traffic, they instantly dial 199 to notify authorities of the dangerous actions of drivers. Netizens agreed that by collectively notifying authorities, they will then understand the grave concerns of many in the Kingdom.

Online users called on each other to take action and call the appropriate authorities when experiencing dangerous acts on the road. Although laws such as heavy fines (from BD50 to BD500) and prison terms of up to six months for using a mobile phone whilst driving have been enacted in Bahrain, people continuously use their mobile phones while on the roads.