Bahrain's new traffic law is proving effective - with violations dropping by 16 per cent in just a week since the tougher rules were introduced on February 8.

The traffic directorate registered a total of 6,014 violations until February 15, down from 7,163 in the same period last year, revealed General Director of Traffic Shaikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

"Twenty-six road accidents were reported, down from 39 crashes in the same period last year, registering a drop of 33.3 per cent,” he said in a statement.

The was no fatal road accident in that period, Shaikh Nasser added.

"The tangible reduction in the number of accidents reflects road users' positive response to the new law that aims to achieve ultimate traffic safety," he said.

Rush-hour traffic jams have also eased.

Shaikh Nasser attributed this to the adherence of road-users to the new rules. - TradeArabia News Service