JEDDAH, 19 June 2003 — Although Saudi laws do not allow women to drive, police nonetheless hold them responsible for numerous traffic violations as more than 75,000 cars are owned by Saudi women, according to a report carried by Al-Watan newspaper.
Some traffic violations are registered in the name of women because the law holds the owner of a car responsible when the actual violator cannot be found.
“When a car owned by a woman is involved in a traffic violation and the driver is missing when the violation is registered, it is charged to the car owner,” Brig. Fahd ibn Saud Al-Bishr, director of the traffic department, said.
Cars belonging to Saudi women are driven by either expatriate drivers or their legal guardians.
He said an expatriate driving a car owned by a Saudi woman should carry a copy of her ID to match it with the name of sponsor written in his iqama.
Al-Bishr said personal drivers have to take out the mandatory car insurance linked with the driving license.
“If they commit any traffic violations, they have to pay the fines,” he said.
“Families should inform the drivers in advance of these regulations, before their arrival in the Kingdom through recruitment offices,” he added.
He said his department would shortly make arrangements to answer queries related to traffic offenses through its website shortly. Al-Bishr said a committee was studying the issue of allowing people to take cars owned by women outside the country.
“The study will be completed soon,” he added.
He said authorization could be given to take cars for frequent travel across the King Fahd Causeway, provided car owners complete the necessary procedures at the department.
