Saudi gets 150 lashes for 'drifting' in car

A young Saudi caught ‘drifting’ his car has been sentenced to 150 lashes, according to local press. The man was sentenced at Hail District Court after police caught him driving dangerously on a number of occasions. Maj Yehya Al-Biladi, Hail Police director, urged all young men to abstain from drifting and promised harsh penalties for those flout the law. Last week, the Grand Mufti of Dubai said it is a sin to violate traffic rules, and condemned reckless driving. He also said the notion that a seat belt is discouraged by Islam because safety is in God's hand was "completely wrong". Car accidents in the UAE alone have cost AED17bn (US$4.6bn) over the last three years, or 1.6 percent of the UAE’s gross domestic product, according to a recent report.