Mishaal Al-Otaibi

Saudi Gazette

 

RIYADH —  Traffic police do not have the right to imprison a driver who runs a red light, according to an expert in the field.



Traffic Department’s former legal consultant, lawyer and road safety expert Musaid Abdulrahman Al-Rubaish said the traffic regulations do not say that a traffic police officer has the right to put behind bars a driver who runs a red light for the first time.



Article 68 of the Traffic Department Charter clearly states that running a red light will subject the driver to a monetary fine ranging between SR500 and SR900 or the confiscation of the vehicle, said Al-Rubaish.



He also said that Article 74 states that if the driver violates traffic regulations for the second time, then the department should forward the case to a Specialized Court which is authorized to issue a monetary fine or prison sentence.



The second violation must happen in the same year as the first, otherwise it is not considered a second violation.



“Anyone jailed for running a red light for the first time has the right to sue the Traffic Department and get compensation,” said Al-Rubaish.



Al-Rubaish’s views run counter to the new traffic regulations issued in June this year which state that fines imposed by the Saher traffic system on those running red lights will be accepted only after the violators have served a 24-hour detention.



The Traffic General Directorate, which started implementing the new regulation, has even made necessary changes in the online traffic ticketing system.



Accordingly, fines for running a red light can no longer be paid online. The violators will have to visit the traffic department to make the payment.



Only those who produce notification from the concerned traffic department that they have served the detention will be allowed to pay the fine and clear the violation.