Smart cameras send road violations down in Kuwait

Cairo: Artificial intelligence-operated surveillance cameras recently installed on Kuwait’s roads have led to a significant drop in traffic violations, according to a Kuwaiti security source.

Signs of traffic discipline as a result have appeared in two aspects, Al Rai newspaper quoted the source as saying.A 25% decrease in the number of traffic violations were seen in December, compared to the same month in 2023, according to the source.

“This confirms the effectiveness of the cameras and their achievement of the deterrence that the Interior Ministry has sought.”

The second indicator of the effectiveness of these cameras is that road users have become convinced that the smart tools are detecting violations of talking on the phone while driving and not wearing a seat belt.
Around 40,000 such violations were recorded in just 20 days, the source disclosed.

Traffic accidents in Kuwait, a country of 4.7 million people, resulted last year in 284 deaths against 296 in 2023, according to official figures.

Kuwait is set to enforce in April a new traffic code that incorporates stringent penalties and hefty fines aimed at curbing reckless driving and enhancing road safety, replacing a traffic law that went into effect in 1976.
Under the new law, the fine for using a mobile phone while driving increases from KD5 ($16.2) to KD75, while the penalty for not wearing a seat belt triples to KD30. The fine for reckless driving has raised significantly from KD30 to KD150.

The penalty for driving past a red light is toughened from a misdemeanour to a felony. This offence is punishable by up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of KD1,000.

Officials have repeatedly emphasised that the new traffic law is necessary to reduce serious violations, as traffic accidents are seen as the second leading cause of death in Kuwait after heart disease.