Shari'i district of Makkah say they are growing ever fearful of taking to their cars due to the prevalence of reckless teenage drivers cutting red lights and abusing all traffic rules at junctions. Abdul Rahman Al-Subaihi blamed the traffic police for failing to take proper action against offenders and said that when young drivers are confronted by other motorists they respond with “insults and abuse”. “They take absolutely no notice of traffic lights and are threatening and abusive if you say anything,” he said of the drivers. “It's clear they are not being called up on their violations and we rarely see any traffic police in the area. If they appear at all, it is only temporarily.” He said that patrols were needed “particularly at rush hours and when pupils exit schools”. “They are mostly young people who have no qualms with putting other people's lives at risk,” he said. Muhammad Al-Zahrani, deputy spokesman for Makkah Traffic Police, denied that the area had been overlooked. “All districts of the city are covered by traffic patrols on a continual basis,” he said. “They are continually monitoring driving violations and stopping offenders who are then passed on to the relevant authorities for legal measures to be taken.”
