Qatari Drivers Are Becoming More Aware Of Traffic Rules

Qatari Drivers Are Becoming More Aware Of Traffic Rules. Qatar is making great strides toward ensuring pedestrian and driver safety. Qatar Living reports that the country’s traffic department has launched a number of programs to teach drivers how to drive safely.

The kind of cars that people buy in Doha, Qatar, are said to contribute to the erratic traffic there. People prefer 4×4 vehicles with tread-less tires for the desert, and they drive them around like sports cars.

Traffic Violations in Qatar Down 21 Percent

The Ministry of Interior released its latest statistics on traffic violations in the first half of 2018. There has been a significant drop of 21.1 percent compared to the same period last year. The first half of this year saw a total of 830,318 traffic violations, up to June.

For the same period this year, the Ministry of Interior also issued 39,345 licenses to new drivers, and registered 32,688 cars.

Moreover, a survey shows that Qataris support traffic improvements, with 37 percent agreeing to increase penalties for red signal violators. According to the same survey, which was conducted as a Twitter poll by the General Directorate of Traffic, 33 percent of Qataris support maintaining fines for red signal violators.

According to the poll, 23 percent believe the fine should be reduced, while 7 percent have no opinion. Red signal violators will be fined QAR 6,000 plus seven black marks on their licenses.

Record Number of Transactions

As well as setting a record for recorded transactions, the Ministry of Interior recorded the most transactions ever in this year’s fiscal year. The number of transactions increased by 4.5 percent over last year, according to department representatives.

The number of transactions for the first half of this year is 49,084,450. A daily average of 272,691 transactions, or 11,362 transactions per hour, would be equivalent to 272,691 transactions per day.

Hopefully, these latest trends will continue and improve public perception of aggressive traffic in the Middle East. You shouldn’t let this deter you from visiting Doha, though, as this article shows there is so much to see and do there!