In what was the first major new traffic law passed by Egyptian authorities in 40 years, which will  introduce new regulations for issuing driver’s licenses and harsher penalties for traffic violations.

The biggest feature of the new law is the introduction of a points system similar to the ones used in much of Europe, the US and Australia. Rather than accumulating points, with various thresholds marking penalties, the Egyptian system will work the other way; drivers are given a total of 50 points, with each violation deducting a certain amount. According to Egypt Today, If the driver hits zero, his or her license will be suspended and they will be required to enroll in a driving school to reactivate it.

New fines have also been introduced, too, and will work in tandem with point-deduction; for example, a speed limit violation means a 500LE fine and a deduction of two-to-six points depending on the severity of the speeding.

Al Masr Al Youm released this infographic this week, breaking down the violations and their deductions, though some have pointed to a perceived imbalanced to how many you lose and for what as well as some more vague and strange notes on 'inappropriate behaviour  in a vehicle' and 'having bumper stickers on your vehicle'.

1 Point Deduction

-Not maintaining a safe distance between your car and other cars while driving.
-Not carrying your license.
-Parking violation.
-Smoking on public transport (applicable to driver of vehicle).

2 Point Deduction

-Using a mobile phone while driving.
-Not wearing your seat-belt.
-Driving within 10km above a speed limit.
-Not wearing a helmet on motorbikes and scooters.
-Having bumper stickers on your vehicle.
-Using car horn excessively or inappropriately.
-Not keeping vehicle doors closed while in motion.

3 Point Deduction

-Driving with an expired license.
-Driving within 11km-30km above a speed limit.
-Driving too slow on highways.
-Not using lights and signals correctly.
-Failing to make way for ambulances.

4 Point Deduction

-Using a vehicle for a function other than its registered function (eg, using a private vehicle as a taxi)
-Driving without the appropriate licenses.
-Refusing to show licenses.
-Driving within 31km-50km above a speed limit.
-Not maintaining a safe distance between your car and other cars while driving on highways.

5 Point Deduction

-Driving in opposite directions.
-Driving under the influence.
-Obscene/inappropriate behaviour in a vehicle.
-Being involved in a traffic accident and driving away (hit-and-run).
-Attacking a police or traffic officer.
__________

By Kalam El Qahaira