Kuwait Replaces Jail Time with Community Service for Traffic Violations

Kuwait Replaces Jail Time with Community Service for Traffic Violations
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In a significant overhaul of its traffic laws, Kuwait has officially replaced jail sentences for certain traffic offenses with mandatory community service, a move confirmed by the Ministry of Interior and reported by several news outlets, including Gulf News. The new system is designed to promote social responsibility and reform, rather than simply penalizing violators.

The ministerial decision, issued by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al Sabah, amends the country’s 1976 traffic law. The new approach allows judges to assign offenders to a variety of community-based tasks. These may include cleaning mosques and streets, planting trees in public parks, or assisting at special needs centers and hospitals.

The law also introduces a “physical impoundment” system for vehicles involved in serious violations, where a tracking device is installed to monitor the vehicle’s location. Violators who fail to comply with their community service obligations face the possibility of being sent back to court to face their original prison sentence.

In addition to community service, the new law has also increased fines for many common traffic violations, such as using a mobile phone while driving and not wearing a seatbelt. The new regulations aim to create a safer driving environment and reduce the number of traffic accidents by promoting greater road discipline.