"Road safety is a shared responsibility"

Ministry of Interior, through the General Directorate of Traffic, continues to ramp up its 2026 road safety efforts, focusing on awareness, safer driving behaviour, and stronger enforcement in Bahrain. In the past month, more than 10 major road traffic accidents were recorded. In the past week alone, two young lives were lost in separate incidents, renewing calls for greater caution on the roads. 2025 reports show over 900 traffic accidents in Bahrain.

Authorities continue to highlight speeding, distracted driving, and failure to follow traffic rules as key causes of road incidents, while urging compliance with safety practices including seatbelt use, avoiding mobile phone use while driving, proper vehicle maintenance, and adherence to traffic signals.

Bahrain’s participation in the annual GCC Traffic Week, alongside other GCC nations, under the theme “Cross Safely”, aims to promote road safety awareness and highlights its importance in protecting lives and property. The campaign encourages pedestrians, especially children, to use designated crossings and wait for vehicles to stop before crossing.

Director-General of Traffic Major-General Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulwahab Al Khalifa highlighted community awareness as key to reflecting Bahrain’s civilized image, stressing the role of parents in instilling traffic culture in children to build a responsible generation that follows road safety rules.

The Ministry has intensified efforts to curb dangerous road behaviour, reflecting a stricter approach to traffic violations. These measures include a new initiative equipping motorcycles in official convoys with electronic plate systems to guide drivers on safe conduct when convoys pass, which helps regulate traffic flow and enhance safety.

 Notably, the first phase of the Smart Camera System was rolled out on February 1, 2026, to automatically enforce rules on speeding, mobile phone use, seatbelt compliance and signal violations.

This follows Royal Decree Law No. 30 of 2025, issued in August 2025, which amends the 2014 Traffic Law to enhance road safety and introduces tougher penalties, including fines of up to BD 10,000 and imprisonment of up to 10 years for severe offences such as reckless driving, drunk driving, running red lights, and excessive speeding.

The public is also encouraged to report minor, non-injury accidents through the eTraffic app or call 199 to ease congestion and improve response times.

Similarly, in the UAE, road safety efforts are increasingly driven by technology, with AI systems, traffic monitoring drones, and interactive tools such as awareness robots used in public spaces to simulate real-life violations and educate the public.

Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait are also adopting a mix of awareness and engagement strategies, including virtual reality-based learning, nationwide campaigns with enforcement, and strengthened outreach in schools and public spaces to promote safer driving and pedestrian behavior.

The message across GCC is simple: road safety is a shared responsibility that requires consistent discipline from all road users.