After weeks of warnings, today (February 8) is the day when Bahrain's tough new traffic laws come into force, a report said.

Under the new rules, jumping a red light could result in a fine of up to BD500 ($1,315) and six months in jail, while anyone not wearing a seatbelt, driving recklessly or driving a vehicle without lights at night, among other things, risks a fine of up to BD100, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

Even touching your phone while driving could lead to a fine of up to BD500.

The old law, which dated back 35 years, stipulated fines as low as BD5 or BD10 for speeding and driving under the influence.

However, the new legislation outlines dramatically increased fines and jail times for various offences, including up to BD6,000 fine and prison term for jumping a red light and causing a fatality.

A proposed demerit point system, which threatens to revoke licences of repeat offenders after they exceed a maximum number of points, is still being reviewed in parliament.

In the previous law, drunk driving carried a jail sentence of up to a year plus a fine of BD500, with a maximum of two years in prison plus a BD1,000 fine if it results in an accident.

However, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol will now result in a fine of BD500 to BD1,000 plus a jail sentence of a month to a year.

If drunk driving causes an accident, it will result in a jail sentence of between two months to two years, plus a BD1,000 to BD2,000 fine.

If the offence is repeated within a year, the penalty will be doubled.

Also under the new law, exceeding speed limits could result in up to BD500 in fines or up to six months in jail.

However, if speeding results in an injury to someone or damage to public or private property, it carries a one-month to three years sentence and/or a fine of BD1,000, which can increase to BD2,000 in case of a fatality.

Street racing, driving without a licence and driving a car without brakes or with unfit brakes will carry a fine of BD50, which could go up to BD500 and/or a prison term of up to six months.

Allowing children to sit in the front seat or having infants in a car without a child seat will result in fines between BD20 to BD100.- TradeArabia News Service