Motorists in Qatar face more fines under a clampdown on poor lane discipline and overtaking from the right, it was reported.
Cameras installed on roundabouts and interchanges will be able to detect violations pertaining to lane cutting and overtaking, through a software program currently being developed.
Within the next 45 days, the number of devices on roads to detect wrong overtaking will be increased, The Peninsula reported. Overtaking from the right entails a fine of QR500.
Meanwhile, 50 patrols have been assigned to monitor trucks and trailers violating city rules, said Brigadier Mohamed Saad Al Kharji, director of the Department of Traffic, quoted in The Peninsula.
Another violation the government is working to clamp down on is the use of mobile phones while driving. Noting that this was a major cause of accidents worldwide, Brigadier Al Kharji said there was a proposal from local authorities that mobile phones used by motorists while driving could be jammed through electronic devices. The proposal, however, was found to be impractical, particularly in emergency situations, he said.
To curb phone use while driving, traffic patrols can now use cameras fitted on the roadside, near traffic lights and roundabouts and zoom in on motorists using mobile phones, he added.
Other measures being taken to boost road safety include traffic and road safety awareness programs to be included in the curriculum of schools from the new academic year, which begins next month, it was reported.
In April this year, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior announced a new surveillance program called “Talaa” that would enable officers to remotely ticket motorists for behaviours like mobile phone use while driving, not wearing seatbelts, and illegally overtaking other vehicles.
The move came after 31 people died on the country’s roads in January, the highest level in at least 13 months, Doha News reported.
