Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — There was a drop of about seven percent in traffic violations committed by women drivers during the past 11 months, local daily Al-Watan reported on Wednesday quoting sources in the traffic courts and circuits.

The sources attributed the decrease in traffic violations committed by women drivers to their careful driving and their commitment to traffic rules.

They said women are keen never to jump the red light at traffic signals and not to exceed the speed limit.

The sources said during the first days after women were allowed to drive from June 24 last year, they used to commit a number of violations which decreased with time as women drivers shed their initial inhibition and became more used to obeying traffic laws.

According to the statistics of the Justice Ministry, there were 15,175 traffic cases against women in courts consisting of 4,459 in Makkah alone representing about six percent.

Lawyer Nawwaf Al-Nabati said contrary to men, women drivers usually honor traffic rules as by their very nature women are usually law-abiding.

He said violations committed by novice women drivers are banging cars from behind.

Meanwhile, social media is awash with fake advertisements telling women that they can have international driving licenses at SR4,000 of which half should be paid when the application is submitted and the other half after obtaining the license.

The sources said most of these fake advertisements are being put out by foreign driving instructors.

They said the maximum cost of an international driving license is SR500 and are they are issued by authorized travel agents only.