Traffic cams go hi-fi, Lawbreakers beware

Manama

Highly sophisticated cameras are being installed in Bahrain to help catch criminals as well as traffic violators, authorities stated. High-tech cameras are being installed in various locations in the Kingdom to aid the police in catching wanted criminals. The cameras will be able to obtain the history of the motorist’s traffic violations and criminal history by tracking the number plate of the vehicles, Traffic Directorate General Director Shaikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa stated in Interior Ministry’s publication Al Amn.

“Shaikh Nasser said that the directorate has a new project to read car number plates through advanced cameras to find out traffic violations and criminal records of the car owner. Such cameras have been tested to monitor the crossing of red signal, yellow boxes and the arrest of wanted fugitives. He said that the system had already played a role in the arrest of a driver who had 14 traffic offenses, while another driver was arrested with the assistance of the camera after learning he was wanted for a security case,” Al Amn stated. The upgraded cameras count as one of the many developments made by the Traffic Directorate this year. Last March, DT News reported that 100 new policemen would be recruited to the traffic police force this year as part of efforts to improve road safety. The directorate implemented the new traffic law last February to reduce the frequency of the accidents.

Shaikh Nasser said that after implementation of the traffic law there have been a reduction in the number of traffic accidents. “The figures show a reduction in the numbers. But if we want to have a clearer picture, we should give it more time before making conclusions about the results. Our goals are to reduce injuries and fatalities. Our main focus is not to catch more violators rather, it is to save lives. Hiking or curtailing the fines that we receive is not what we are looking forward to do,” he was quoted as saying by DT News on March 21.