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Cases of stunt-driving and drifting decline

Published: 20 Mar 2018 - 09:08 am | Last Updated: 28 Dec 2021 - 05:44 pm
File picture used for representation

File picture used for representation

Sidi Mohamed | The Peninsula

DOHA: The cases of stunt-driving and drifting have declined in the country due to increased awareness among youth about its dangers, said Director of the General Directorate of Traffic, Brigadier Mohammed Saad Al Kharji.

“Earlier we were receiving many complaints about drifting, but now the complaints are less and even the road users can notice that. This does not mean that there are no cases of stunt-driving and drifting and we are not giving any chance to anyone to violate traffic rules, but we believe that it has decreased due to awareness among youth,” Al Kharji told reporters on the sideline of the 34th Traffic Week at Darb Al Saai.

Regarding the cases of drifting outside in desert area and faraway from police eyes, he said that “we are giving those tips and advices to drift only in designated places like the one in Industrial area. We don’t like it but also if it is must, it should be done at the designated places because it will be under police monitoring.”

The punishment of such cases include hefty fines which might reach QR3,000 or more and impounding of the vehicles for a maximum of three months. Cases of repeat violation will be transferred to public prosecution. In case of drifting in residential areas which exposes other people’s life to danger, vehicles will be booked for 90 days and may be transferred to the public prosecution depending on the nature of the offence.

 Replying to question about the difficulty in passing the driving test and high percentage of failure, he said that it is difficult because we want only qualified people to drive, and if we don’t do this then we will be exposing our people lives to danger. “We should focus more on raising awareness about traffic safety, because when we raise awareness, traffic safety increases,” Al Kharji said.

Al Kharji noted that the aim of holding such event is to increase awareness among road users.