Doha - Qatar's newly enacted traffic law acts not only as a preventive tool to curb Qatar's mounting number of road mishaps, but also offers a good practice in safe driving.
The law tells the drivers that blocking or 'deactivating' the flow of traffic on roads intentionally is an offence.
Driving unusually slow, blocking the traffic flow, or moving a vehicle or making any hindrance to traffic movement or blocking it after opening the traffic would amount to violation of the law and attract three negative points.
Changing of a vital part of the vehicle without a prior permission and driving a vehicle that leaks inflammable materials or harms the public health or environment or damages the road will also invite three negative points.
The new traffic law puts a deep scanner on trucks.
Exceeding height of load on the vehicle or things appearing from the load longer than 4.2 metres from the road level without prior permission will also attract penalty.
Exceeding width of load on the vehicle or things appearing from the load wider than 2.6 metres without written permission is also a violation of the law. The new law permits drivers to honk horns only when they face an imminent danger. Fixing or using air horns or musical horns are against the law.
Negative points for traffic violations
Jumping an automatic or manually 7 activated red light
Driving in the opposite (wrong) direction 6
Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs 6 or any other mental stimulant
Exceeding the speed limit 4
Driving recklessly or dangerously or in a 4 wrong way that harms life and public property
Driving a vehicle without brake or with 4 faulty brakes or one faulty brake or with an unusable brake
Driving with inappropriate licence 3
Driving with suspended or invalid licence 3
Violating customs and norms of public 3 morality inside the vehicle or allowing somebody to do so
Driving a non-registered vehicle 3
Driving a vehicle without number plates 3
Driving a vehicle with a number plate 3 issued by the authority but changes have been made in numbers or without a number plate which is not issued from authority on which the original or fake numbers have been printed
Using a vehicle against its purpose 3
Driving a vehicle which emits noisy sounds 3
Providing wrong information intentionally 3 to pass the technical inspection or to earn a licence or a temporary licence, or getting a replacement for the lost licence
Blocking or deactivating the flow of traffic 3 in the public roads intentionally
Driving a vehicle emitting dense fume or 3 causing bad smoke
Driving a vehicle which drops loads that 3 can endanger the public safety
Driving on the pavement 3
Making a turn or round or U-turn against 3 the traffic movement flow
Giving the vehicle to someone who does 2 not have a licence, or have another categorised licence or any other permit issued by the authority
Driving a vehicle that leaks inflammable 3 materials or harms the public health or environment or damages the road
Changing a vital part of the vehicle without 3 a written permission from the authority
Driving a vehicle without one number 1 plate, or changing plate's place or colour or shape issued from the authority
Driving a vehicle with unclear or 2 unreadable number plates
Refraining from giving driving licence 1 or registration card or any related document issued by the traffic department to traffic police
Trucks violating the load regulations 1
Trucks violating the vehicle's weight and 1 dimensions' standards in width, height and weight
Driving a technically unsafe vehicle (as a 1 result of an accident)
Using lights, horns, loud speakers or any 1 other unauthorised machines
Disregarding traffic signs or ground lines 1
Article 102 - The 8th chapter of traffic law
No. Driving licence suspension period No. of Points Times of violation
3 Months 14 First time
6 Months 12 Second time
9 Months 10 Third time
One-year 8 Fourth time Licence will be suspended ultimately. And in this case, a 6 Fifth time new driving licence shall be issued only after passing a new driving test according to the law Article No.(31) on "conditions to provide the driving licence for the first time" after one year of suspension as a minimum period.
© The Peninsula 2007
