DAMMAM — Police in various towns and cities in the Eastern Province have arrested 412 joy riders since the beginning of summer, with Dammam leading the number of violators with 147 arrests, followed by Hafar Al-Batin with 102 violations. Al-Ahsa followed with 46 violations and Qatif with 39 violations. Col. Abdul-Aziz bin Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, the Assistant Director of the Traffic Department in the Eastern Province, said police will not release joy riders or any onlookers who deliberately obstruct traffic. Al-Ghamdi said the penalties for joy riding is impoundment of the vehicle for 15 days and a fine of SR 1,000 for first time offenders. Second time offenders will have their vehicle impounded for 30 days and face a SR1,500 fine. Third time offenders shall have their vehicle impounded indefinitely and face a SR2,000 fine and a jail term that will be determined by a court judge. “Traffic policemen not only perform field follow-ups, but also monitor a number of popular joy riding websites that are used for setting up such events," Col. Al-Ghamdi added while calling on parents to watch their children and only give them vehicles if they know they will be responsible drivers. — SG
