I went to get some car paperwork done last night but turned out I had a fine I needed to pay. When I tried paying it I got a message saying I couldn’t and needed to get the fine unblocked first. I got caught speeding, going 88KM/h in a 45KM/h zone. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out which road that could have been on but figured I’d just go to the traffic department morning and pay it and get it done with.
I headed to Jabriya traffic department first where they told me I needed to head to the Shuwaikh one instead. When I got to Shuwaikh I headed to the department that unblocks the fines and the cop there was like go get me your car registration since we have to impound your car for two weeks. I was like whaaaat why? Turns out I got caught speeding in the emergency lane. Even though you’re allowed to drive on the emergency lane during rush hour, you’re not meant to exceed 45KM/h. Because the speed cameras give you leeway of up to 20KM/h, I completely forgot the speed limit was 45 and assumed it was 65. So I was driving around 85 thinking I was still within the limit but I obviously wasn’t.
So if you use the emergency lane make sure you don’t speed!
46 replies on “Don’t Speed in the Emergency Lane”
So did they impound your car?
Ignorantia juris non excusat!!
Mark, do you know where do you have to drop the car? Is there a deadline for you to leave the car at the police deposit?
I had the same issue a couple of weeks back (i drove on the emergency shoulder – the one with the bumpers – got the fine, couldnt pay online, went to jabriya, went to shuwaikh and, surprise, got the car impounded for ONE MONTH. I didn’t leave the car: they told me i could take my time to drop it
anyways, thanks for sharing!
This blog post is incomplete.
So did they impound your car?
vitamin W 😉
Nope, i didn’t turn my car in, currently just have my FJ since my lotus is at the dealership so don’t want to be without a car
It’s been like this since they allowed to drive in the emergency lane a year ago or whenever that was.
I have yet to see someone obeying the speed limit in the shoulder lane…
I have yet to see someone obeying the speed limit, period.
Only when there’s a camera, otherwise even the police dont care.
Hahaha, that’s what you get for driving in the E-lane! Yes it is allowed but only idiots do it, at legal or above speed limit! Driving in the E-lane should never have been allowed in the 1st place, dumbest rule ever!
If it’s allowed why shouldn’t I drive in the emergency lane?
You wouldn’t be asking that dumb question if you were the one that was stuck in your overturned vehicle that has been involved in an accident and is about to burst into flames and the emergency services is unable to reach the accident site because of some moron using the E-lane is either blocking the lane or has managed to cause another accident.
I think your anger is misplaced. I am just following the law, I’m not for turning the emergency lane into a normal lane and I’ve mentioned that a number of times on the blog. But, it wasn’t my decision, it was the traffic department. So if they say it’s legal, who the fuck are you to tell me I can’t?
And there comes the immature, egoistic, arrogant and heated reaction. Don’t you realize that you are making a fool out of yourself by always reacting in this manner when someone has a different opinion or when being questioned? Who do you think you are?! Nobody is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to drive in the E-lane, it is your own decision. Just because something is legal doesn’t mean you have to do it, especially if it involves compromising the safety of others and yourself. I am not angry, just fed up with selfish drivers like yourself that use the E-lane and as a result risk other peoples lives and yet have the stomach to complain about getting fined and their car impounded. I certainly hope they impound your car for a long time and revoke your license.
i bet you are a vegan
Not at all, I like my steak rare without any sauce on it!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…. good one!
Like I said your anger is misplaced. If you disagree with the current law that ALLOWS you to LEGALLY use the emergency lane during certain timings, then you should take it up with the ministry of interior. They are the ones that legalized this law not me.
So call me selfish call me whatever you want but you are clearly in the wrong here no question about it. If I was breaking the law then you have all the right to call me names and accuse me of risking other people’s lives but I’m not so fuck you.
You both have a point, but personally even though I know it is allowed under certain conditions, I haven’t done it personally. It just feels…wrong. And I have seen accidents happen in the shoulder lane preventing emergency vehicles to reach another site.
And what is the point if the speed limit is 45 kph? Of course no one is going to obey that, leading to all kind of issues mentioned by Joe.
Like Riba said, you both are right but even I don’t use the E-lane even though I know it’s allowed. there are too many idiots out there who use the emergency lane at high speed and cut in to right lane when the speed cam is nearby putting themselves and the life of the others in danger.
Yeah that’s my only beef with the emergency lane, the cutting in. Most of the general public have zero concept of planning or looking ahead. They drive like there’s no one else on the road except them and the car in front.
+1
Joe, he didn’t call you any names for having a different opinion, he just gave his opinion. If you ask me you are the one acting like an immature, egoist, arrogant and righteous prick against someone for having a different opinion.
You have to remember that, even though the roads might not be the safest, but the emergency response system in Kuwait is among the best in the world. I don’t believe you have come to your expert conclusion, of “the safety of others and yourself being compromised upon using the E lane”, from your extensive work with the emergency services. When say such thing,s you are actually accusing the emergency services of being negligible for allowing general public to use the E-lanes during rush hours. I am not saying don’t do it, but at the very least do it based on facts and data or at least on some personal experience, basically on anything other than your gut feeling and your flawed notion of having the most righteous common sense on the planet.
You’re the kind of a person who at fuel station eyes people filling up left to right or vice versa when filling is allowed from both the sides.
It’s you Joe. You also frown at empty disabled parking spots when other parkings are full. You’re against privileges. You reject a free upgrade to business class when asked. Oh I can go on and on.
I think mark banned joe.
-1 to that
They should make the left E-lane a regular lane imo (just like everywhere else) . We don’t need 2 of them. Put a hefty fine for using the right E-Lane. Problem solved.
Happened to me last month, people warned me that they might take my driving license so I left my car at home before I went to Mroor Al Asema and they did take my license for two weeks.
These roads have seen no expansion in 28years and the whole country has suffered. I’m happy to see the left side opened up. But all idiots who go above 50, deserve to have their car impounded. It’s dangerous because of the overturning possibilities with the partition, rocks fly at cars after 45 and more importantly it distracts drivers in the high speed lane
+1
Mark thanks for sending this out in the public interest. Hope you get your car back soon.
Well, to be fair, the “shoulder speed” signs saying 45kmh are all over the place
+1
This is an actual joke isn’t it? EVERYONE SPEEDS HERE REGARDLESS OF WHAT LANE/ROAD YOURE ON! No one has a clue about safe driving
I always thought the allowance was just 10 km/h above the speed limit and always wondered why those speeding past at over 130 (on the regular lanes) never got flashed at by the speed cameras. Makes sense now.
Hmmm.. so can someone please tell for sure what is the max allowance/ tolerance over the speed limit?
120 Zone – 139
100 Zone – 119
80 Zone – 99
Goddammit mark! Because of this post I went to check my fines and lo and behold I have the exact same fine!!!!
I had the same situation, and just got my car released yesterday.
It was a big mess, because I dropped my car to the car impound at Dajeej – Farwaniya and when I went there to pick it up it turns out they moved it to Jahra impound, and even the bill has the crane fees and I had to pay for that too, as well when I went to Jahra, turns out the car wasnt there too and they moved it to Doha garage. I had to go again to Jahra by evening to pick it up … will never drive on that lane again 🙁
well, i believe opening the E-Lane for public use was not a good step and i’m 100% agreed on Joe that if the E-Lane is occupied by public and there is accident ahead. How come the ambulance will reach to the accident point since the E-Lane will be already fully packed ?
They can just use the emergency lane that’s on the right hand side…
How much was the fine?
50
Emergency lane should be for emergency services/vehicles. Even if emergency service vehicle is not on emergency call, then they should not be on the emergency lane.
Finally it’s emergency lane which we should respect.