Kuwait traffic authorities arrested a citizen on June 18, 2026 for riding an all-terrain vehicle on a public road in Kuwait City, impounded the vehicle and referred the driver to the traffic police station. The General Traffic Department has maintained an active campaign against ATVs and motorcycles used outside designated areas, with officers conducting 24-hour patrols to enforce the restrictions. A security source told Arab Times that the latest action forms part of sustained efforts to address violations that compromise road safety across the country.
Arab Times reported that officers tracked the citizen during routine operations before making the arrest and seizing the ATV. The security source stated that traffic officers carry out their duties 24/7 to arrest reckless drivers and traffic law violators. Such incidents have become routine as the department targets unauthorized use of recreational vehicles on public infrastructure.
The security source outlined the applicable penalties for these violations. The fine for driving ATVs and motorcycles outside the designated areas is KD150. If the case is referred to court, the penalty is imprisonment for one to three years and a fine of KD600 to KD1,000, or one of these penalties.
These measures stem from updated traffic regulations that entered into force in 2025 under a decree law that raised penalties for reckless driving and related offenses, a KTV Foreign News Department report indicated. Times Kuwait reported that the stricter framework contributed to a 34 percent reduction in road accident deaths and a 16 percent drop in traffic violations during the first half of 2025. The Ministry of Interior has pointed to intensified monitoring as a key factor in the improved figures.
Earlier operations reflected similar priorities, with Kuwait Times noting in November 2016 that a single crackdown resulted in 45 ATVs and motorbikes being impounded along with 53 tickets issued and four teenagers arrested. The General Traffic Department has consistently restricted ATVs to off-road zones or specially permitted locations to limit their presence on public highways. Authorities have impounded vehicles in each documented violation to deter repeat offenses.
The World Health Organization data shows that road traffic crashes cause approximately 1.19 million deaths globally each year, with motorcyclists among the vulnerable road users most at risk. A 2022 study by J Gasana published in PMC found that around 450 people die annually in Kuwait from road traffic injuries, with non-Kuwaitis accounting for four times as many cases as Kuwaiti nationals. The Ministry of Interior has referenced these patterns while expanding enforcement to protect all road users.
