Driver tries to stab another with a pen in Abu Halifa

It ended with one driver grabbing another man’s hand just in time, stopping a pen from going into his arm. But a few seconds earlier, this was just another case of someone cutting in front of someone else on the road.

The incident happened at an entrance to Abu Halifa along the Fahaheel Expressway, according to a security source. What started as a near miss between two cars turned into a confrontation that ended with a criminal case.

How it started

According to the security source, the trouble began when one driver said another vehicle pulled out in front of him suddenly, almost causing a collision. Both men stopped their cars right after it happened, which is often where these disputes should end – with a conversation, or at most an argument.

This one didn’t stop there. The driver of the other vehicle allegedly began shouting at the complainant, using profanities, and deliberately hit the complainant’s car door. It’s the kind of moment familiar to anyone who drives in Kuwait: tempers rising fast after a near miss on a busy road.

We’ve seen how quickly things can turn on Kuwait’s roads before. Just this month, a bus crash on Abdali Road injured 22 workers, a reminder of how serious road incidents can get even without anyone meaning harm.

The moment it escalated

After hitting the car door, the suspect got out of his vehicle and walked over to the complainant’s car. He then reached through the open window, allegedly trying to stab the complainant with a pen he was carrying.

The complainant managed to grab the man’s hand before the pen could touch him. No one was reported injured. It’s a small detail that matters here – a pen being used as a weapon sounds almost ordinary, but in someone’s hand during a heated argument, it can cause real harm.

A case was registered over the incident, and the source said the necessary legal procedures are being taken. At this stage, no names, nationalities or ages of the two men have been released, and no court outcome has been reported.

Why road rage keeps happening here

Kuwait’s roads see a huge number of near misses every day, and not all of them stay calm. Earlier this month, we reported that Kuwait logged over 1.1 million traffic violations in five months, a figure that shows how much pressure there already is on drivers sharing the same roads.

Authorities have also been tightening rules around driving behaviour more generally. As we reported on 13 October, there’s a new traffic crackdown on delivery riders that started on 18 October, part of a wider push to make Kuwait’s roads safer for everyone. You can find more of our local news coverage on how these rules are changing.

None of that directly explains this particular dispute near Abu Halifa, but it shows a pattern: frustration builds fast when drivers feel cut off or unsafe, and sometimes it spills over into something physical.

What this means if you drive in Kuwait

For most people living here, this story is a simple warning. A near miss on the Fahaheel Expressway or anywhere else can feel infuriating in the moment. But getting out of your car to confront another driver, especially angrily, can turn a traffic incident into a criminal one.

If another driver cuts you off, the safer move is to keep your window up, stay in your car, and if needed, call the traffic police rather than confronting the other person directly. That’s true whether you’re a citizen or an expat behind the wheel – getting into a physical argument on the road can have legal consequences for everyone involved, regardless of who started it.

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