Samaher Saif Al Yazal
Traffic legislation in the Kingdom of Bahrain witnessed a remarkable development during the last decade, reflecting the royal and legislative concern to promote traffic safety and protect lives and property. The Traffic Law No. 23 of 2014 set an advanced framework at the time to regulate traffic and control violations, with its deterrent penalties to reduce dangerous behaviors on the road, but traffic variables and the growing practical challenges on the ground have had more stress.
The Royal Decree of Law No. 30 of 2025 amended some provisions of the Traffic Law to keep pace with these developments, and to reflect a more assertive approach in the face of grave traffic violations, by increasing the penalties and tightening precautionary measures.
Al -Watan conducted a comparison between the previous penalties and the amendments that took place in the royal decree issued last Tuesday, and highlights the importance of this comparison in highlighting the differences and emphasis between the two laws, and to show the extent of its reflection on promoting traffic discipline and achieving public and private deterrence.
In Article (45), the first paragraph and Al -Adan (14) and (19) of them, “Without prejudice to the measures prescribed in accordance with the provisions of this law or any more severe punishment stipulated in any other law, a fine of no less than fifty dinars is punished, and no one hundred dinars exceeded each of the following actions:
– Lack of commitment to calm the speed prescribed while driving in the populated areas or when entering turns or intersections, or when approaching hospitals, schools and places of worship, or from the places of infantry crossing.
– Putting posters, advertisements, notifications, or phrases on any of the vehicle parts in violation of public order, public morals or customs in the country.
While in the past the fine of the fine was not less than 20 dinars, and not exceeding 100 dinars, which means doubling the financial punishment.
In Article (46), the first paragraph:
Without prejudice to the measures established in accordance with the provisions of this law or any more severe punishment stipulated in any other law, imprisonment is punished for a period not exceeding 6 months and a fine of no less than 200 dinars, and not exceeding 1000 or one of these two penalties, while the previous penalty was 100 dinars, everyone who committed an act of the following acts:
Practice any public transport activities
Violation of the rules for using the meter in vehicles intended to transport the public
Violation of technical requirements and security and safety means that must be met in public transport vehicles.
As for Article (47), the first paragraph, which states that “with the absence of the measures established in accordance with the provisions of this law or any more severe punishment stipulated in any other law, imprisonment is punished for a period not exceeding 6 months and a fine of no less than a hundred dinars, and not exceeding five hundred dinars or one of these two penalties, whoever commits an act of acts, including:
Use the vehicle for the purpose of its license.
– Driving a vehicle that does not have a registration certificate, or its registration certificate was withdrawn or canceled.
– Driving an unlicensed vehicle in cases where the law is required, or if its license was withdrawn or canceled.
Driving an automatic vehicle free of brakes with its two types, or all of it or one of them is not usable.
– Violation of transport vehicles for the conditions of the load weight, its height, width, or length determined by the executive regulations.
– Driving an automatic vehicle without a driver’s license or with a driver’s license that does not allow its leadership, or its validity period has ended, or it was decided to withdraw, stop or cancel it.
– deliberately disrupting or disabled or disabled traffic on public roads.
– The driver of the vehicle drives it while he is using a driver or anesthetic if it is proven that he was attached, while driving the vehicle while he was in this case, harm or damage to public and private property.
– The driver of the vehicle while driving it or receiving any mobile phone calling, using his hand to carry it.
In this article, the penalty doubled in the financial fine from 50 until it became 100 dinars.
While Article (48) states that “with the absence of the established measures in accordance with the provisions of this law or any severe penalty stipulated in any other law, the vehicle’s commander shall be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months and a fine of no less than two hundred dinars and no more than a thousand dinars or one of these two penalties if the traffic light is exceeded in red.
The financial punishment has doubled in its minimum and higher, and after it was not less than 100 dinars, it became 200 dinars, and not exceeding 1000 dinars after it was 500 dinars.
The penalty shall be imprisonment for a period of no less than three months, and not more than a year and a fine of no less than one thousand dinars, and not exceeding three thousand dinars, or one of these two penalties if the result of the red signal in the red color, an accident that led to damage to public or private property.
While Article (49) came the first paragraph, “Without prejudice to the established measures in accordance with the provisions of this law or any more severe punishment stipulated in any other law, imprisonment is punished for a period of no less than a month, and not more than six months and a fine of no less than three hundred dinars, and not exceeding five hundred dinars or one of these two penalties, everyone who commits a number of acts, including:
Distiner, blur or change the data of the registration numbers or examination panels.
– Allow others to use registration numbers panels or examination panels.
Transfer of registration numbers panels.
Driving a vehicle without plates.
In this article, the penalty for the fine was doubled. In the past, 200 dinars, and now, according to the amendments, it is 300 dinars.
Article (50) The second and third paragraphs:
– The penalty shall be imprisonment for a period of no less than a month, and not more than six months and a fine of no less than two hundred dinars, and not exceeding one thousand dinars or one of these two penalties if the speed exceeds the percentage prescribed in the previous paragraph, which is 30%, mentioned in the law currently in force, and here the fines multiplied to 200 dinars instead of 100 dinars, and not exceeding 1,000 dinars after it was 500 dinars.
– The penalty shall be imprisonment for a period of no less than three months, and not more than a year and a fine of no less than one thousand dinars, and not exceeding three thousand dinars or one of these two penalties if it results in exceeding the maximum speed prescribed as mentioned in the previous two paragraphs.
In this clause, the difference in the penalty of imprisonment, as it was only 3 months defined. Now I add the phrase “not exceeding a year”, as well as with regard to financial fines, so I add a paragraph “not exceeding 3000 dinars”.
The penalties were increased according to Article (51) in terms of the penalty of imprisonment and financial fines, as it stipulates that imprisonment for a period of no less than a month, and does not exceed a year, and the fine is 500 dinars, and does not exceed 1000 dinars or one of these two penalties, but according to the amendments, the period is not less than two months, and not exceeding one year, and a fine of no less than 1000, and does not exceed 2000 dinars or one of these two penalties, if it is used Lotoring or narcotic drugs, or during it under the influence of intoxicating or anesthetic to the extent that it loses control of the vehicle, or weakens its ability to drive.
The penalty shall be imprisonment for a period of no less than four months yet, and not more than two years and a fine of no less than two thousand dinars, and not exceeding four thousand dinars or one of these two penalties if its leadership of the vehicle resulted in the way stipulated in the previous paragraph committing any crime or violation of the traffic rules, and according to the text of this article the penalty of the minimum period of imprisonment is doubled from two months to 4 months and the fine is 2000 after 1000 dinars As the lowest limit, and do not exceed 4000 instead of 2000 dinars.
The punishment is doubled in all cases if the perpetrator returns to the perpetration of the act within a year from the date of the judgment.
The financial punishment in Article (52) stipulated that “with the absence of the measures established in accordance with the provisions of this law or any more severe punishment stipulated in any other law, it is punished for violating the other provisions mentioned in this law and its executive regulations and decisions implemented to it with a fine of no less than fifty dinars and not exceeding one hundred dinars, after it was not less than 20, and not exceeding 50 dinars.
