Do you tut at the lenient sentences handed out to this country’s mad, bad and dangerous drivers? Hey, you should move to Saudi Arabia…
A chap known as The King of Nazeem Neighbourhood made a bunch of scary YouTube videos of him carrying out daft stunts. Things ended badly when a guy got killed in one of his drifting stunts. Mr Neighbourhood (should I call him His Royal Highness Neighbourhood?) got hauled into court. He was then banned from driving for life, given 10 years in jail and sentenced to a painful 1,000 lashes.
A recent study by the road safety group Brake suggested that most UK motorists would like to see tougher sentences. So what happens if you break the law in other countries?
Singapore – Jail and a Caning for Drink Driving
By: the_kid_cl
In Singapore you can get fined for not flushing the toilet or for chewing gum in public, so I would suggest that driving badly isn’t something you want to do. Even adding illegal modifications to your car can see you thrown in the slammer for 3 months here. Anecdotal evidence (note: this means some dude wrote it on a forum) suggests that drink driving can get you a big fine and 6 months in prison, with a caning thrown in for good measure.
Bolivia – Sentenced to Make Mud Bricks
Another example just came to mind covering drink driving. I was in Bolivia watching the local TVand eating some llama meat (as you do) when I saw a local politician on the news. His name was Patxi, I think, and he was one of the ministers who introduced a tough new drink driving law. Sadly for Patxi, he was one of the very first dangerous drivers caught driving while steaming drunk. His punishment? He had to do community service making bricks out of mud.
Japan – Thrown in Jail for Ignoring a Red Light
I don’t know how they make their bricks in the Land of the Rising Sun but I do know that they have a reputation for having some of the strictest traffic laws around. I couldn’t find information on serious offences but on the basis that cyclists can get a 3 month jail sentence and a £300 fine for not stopping at a red light we can assume that their sentences are harsh.
USA – Shot for not Stopping
You’ve seen those crazy police chase videos on TV, so you know how things work in the US. A recent news story covers the fact that a lawyer called Raymond Duensing got shot by traffic cops a few years ago when he tried to flee from a routine police stop. He is now running for the role of district attorney, so I think he survived. Breaking the law in a place where the cops carry guns is always a dangerous business.
- Do you know of any cases of strict traffic laws in other countries?