Viral car drift video sparks anger, shock

Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Road safety experts have raised concerns after a video showing someone drifting their car on a traffic signal at night went viral on social media.

The person was arrested by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) soon after the act, which sparked anger among people.

“The General Traffic Department confirms that legal action has been taken against those who committed this act,” ROP said.

“We hope that everyone will abide by traffic rules and regulations and make our roads safer for their users,” it added.

Ali Al Barwani, chairman of the Oman Road Safety Association (ORSA), said this was careless behaviour. “This was simply careless behaviour and the person was being negligent about the rules.”

“I am not against drifting as a sport, in fact it’s one of the very famous pastimes among youngsters in Oman, but this needs to be done properly and in designated areas. The Oman Automobile Association (OAA) has a number of competitions for drifting, and that is also the right place to practice this, with regulated and safe areas for it.”

He said the problem kicks in when individuals drift on open roads with other cars on it. “The problem happens when people do such things in public places, the road is not for drifting, even if it’s by midnight or beyond. It annoys people and may lead to serious injuries if not death of those in the car and the ones around.”

“This was really dangerous and might even be a court issue; I see this as a kind of distraction for people on the roads. The road is for everybody not just one person or a group. Those carrying out such activities need to think of the grave consequences,” cautioned Al Barwani.