Wednesday 24 / April / 2024
Muscat: If you break the speed limit while drifting in your modified car, with your face covered with a scarf, get ready to bid goodbye to your driving licence on the spot.
From March 1 onwards, each of these offences will carry three black points. Four such offences committed at the same time will mean a total of 12 points: the dreaded tally at which an automatic ban will kick in. Motorists caught breaking several new violations at once will have their licences confiscated by the authorities under Oman’s new traffic laws.
Under the new rules, drifting, exceeding the maximum speed limit, modifying a vehicle, and fully covering your face now amount to three black points each. As the launch of the Royal Oman Police’s (ROP) regulations nears, drivers need to familiarise themselves with the violations that would give them the maximum number of black points.
Here is a complete list of these violations. According to the ROP decision No. 32/2018, eight major violations for black points include exceeding the maximum speed of 75 km/hr, driving a vehicle with a licence for another category, and installation of additional equipment by workshops or individuals that raise the engine’s power or sound output.
In addition, drivers who cover their entire face, refuse to stop at checkpoints, drift, conceal, or illegally deface their number plates will also receive a maximum number of black points on their licence. Heavy cars and trucks that overtake on roads where the manoeuvre is illegal will also face the same penalties.
“If you get 12 or more black points in a year, your driving license will be confiscated by the authorities,” the ROP decision No. 23/2018 stated. Besides, fines for some of the aforementioned violations have also been increased. The fine for drivers covering their full face has been increased from OMR15 to OMR50. The fine for heavy vehicles that illegally overtake has risen from OMR10 to OM50, while the fine for customising a vehicle has gone up from OMR35 to OMR50.
