Interior Ministry: House arrest capped at 60 days, excluding reckless individuals and those with serious violations

The Ministry of Interior confirmed that the vehicle house arrest system, scheduled to take effect next Sunday, does not apply to cases of recklessness, carelessness, or serious violations, nor to vehicles whose nature of violation requires impoundment in a garage. It noted that the duration of house arrest, whether at home or in a traffic garage, does not exceed 60 days.

In an interview with Kuwait Television two days ago, Brigadier General Khaled Al-Adwani, Assistant Director General for Violations and Licensing Affairs at the General Directorate of Traffic, stated that the house arrest decision is implemented in accordance with Article 43 of the Traffic Law. He clarified that 29 articles permit vehicle impoundment for violations including racing, recklessness, carelessness, speeding, overtaking, intentionally obstructing traffic, running red lights, and using a mobile phone while driving.

He explained that certain violations, such as emitting disturbing noises from modified exhausts (“qazouz”), are not subject to house arrest, as they require the vehicle to be impounded in a garage to rectify the offense. Furthermore, individuals with poor traffic records or serious violations may not be eligible for house arrest, according to regulations set by the General Directorate of Traffic.

Al-Adwani noted that a vehicle under house arrest may not be moved except in cases of necessity, such as fire or emergencies verified by an official report, emphasizing that the Ministry takes humanitarian circumstances into account. He added that if a person intentionally violates the conditions of house arrest, a fine of 50 dinars will be recorded against them. In case of repeated violations, settlement will be refused, and the case will be referred to the Traffic Court.

He further stated that using a vehicle during the arrest period subjects the violator to penalties under Article 34, which includes imprisonment for up to two months or a fine ranging from 150 to 200 dinars. “We introduced this service to facilitate procedures, not to break the law. The devices belong to the state, and we hope everyone will comply with the law,” he said.

He pointed out that previously, illegal parking in disabled persons’ spaces resulted in 50,000 violations annually. However, after tightening procedures and referring violators to investigation, the number has dropped to fewer than 300 violations per year. He noted that under the new law, the penalty for parking in disabled persons’ spaces includes confiscation of the vehicle and imprisonment for one to three years.

For his part, Colonel Ayoub Fath Allah, Assistant Director General for Traffic Movement Affairs, stated that installing the arrest device takes about five minutes, and the arrest period begins at midnight. He explained that the installation fee is 10 dinars, while the daily fee for house arrest is 2 dinars, and 1 dinar for garage impoundment.

He added that vehicles under house arrest are subject to real-time monitoring via GPS devices linked to the operations room. Any movement of the vehicle or tampering with the device triggers an immediate alert, prompting a patrol to be dispatched to the location to transfer the vehicle to an impound garage and apply legal procedures.

He emphasized that moving a vehicle during the arrest period is permitted only in officially verified cases of necessity, reiterating that the system’s goal is not profitability but rather organizing the impoundment process and enhancing compliance with traffic laws.

Fath Allah confirmed that overtaking violations require a two-month vehicle impoundment, while vehicles exceeding 151 kilometers per hour are also subject to impoundment. He noted that the General Directorate of Traffic has strengthened surveillance by deploying plainclothes traffic investigators in civilian vehicles to monitor violations on various roads.

He explained that the devices installed on arrested vehicles are monitored through the operations room, where screens track all GPS-equipped devices on house-arrested vehicles. Any movement of the device sends an immediate alert containing the device number and its location.

He highlighted improvements in traffic safety indicators, noting that in 2022, there were 207 collisions with fixed traffic patrols on roads, whereas no such incidents were recorded in 2026. He attributed this improvement to increased compliance and attentiveness while driving.