Traffic authorities have stepped up their crackdown on reckless drivers in the past few days following an alarming rise in the number of violations.
In the latest incident, legal action has been taken against the driver and passenger of a Gulf-registered vehicle that was moving with one door open on Janabiya Highway.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement yesterday that a personal dispute had broken out between the passenger and the driver which led to the incident.
Meanwhile, a 31-year-old individual, whose video of driving against the traffic on the National Charter Road in Sanad went viral, was taken into custody, barely 24 hours after a 25-year-old driver was detained for the same offence on the same road.
Preliminary investigations indicate that one of the drivers was under the influence of narcotic substances and in an abnormal condition at the time of the incident, although the Interior Ministry did not specify which one.
The GDN also reported yesterday that a truck and a vehicle driver were arrested after a widely circulated social media video showed them jumping a red light in Budaiya, risking the safety of road users.
The actions follow outrage and grief on social media platforms after a Bahraini couple was killed last Friday when a driver, in an attempt to overtake the vehicle in front of him, drifted into the opposite lane and collided with their vehicle.
Ahmed Al Orrayedh and Fatema Al Qaidoom were killed and their three children were left orphaned.
The suspect, who police said later was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, has been interrogated, confronted with evidence and put in provisional detention in preparation for trial in a criminal court.
Following the horrific accident, more drivers across the country have been installing dashcams, and reporting reckless driving incidents en masse.
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, directed the Interior Ministry to draft the necessary legislation to strengthen penalties for traffic violations and accidents that resulted in serious injuries or fatalities.
On Monday, the Cabinet heard that penalties will be increased for severe traffic violations leading to injury or loss of life as well as for reckless driving that endangered public safety.
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