Traffic violations have significantly decreased in Dubai after the implementation of the newly amended traffic law on the 1st of July, 2017. Dubai Police recorded more than one-third decline in traffic fines in the first week of July compared to the week leading to the 1st of July. The number of traffic fines issued against motorists dropped from 94,964 to 59,777, which is an encouraging sign for traffic authorities that are continuously trying to improve the road safety situation in Dubai.
Also read: New Traffic Rule Amendments in the UAE – Everything You Need to Know
Reason behind the Significant Decrease in Traffic Violations
Traffic violations have been a major road safety concern in Dubai. In the newly amended traffic law, some traffic violations have been introduced for the first time and fines for some major traffic violations have been increased to discourage motorists from committing dangerous traffic violations.
The penalties for violations like over-speeding, reckless driving, poor lane changing and tailgating have been increased in the new traffic law. On the other hand, some new rules related to wearing the seatbelt and installing child safety seats inside cars have been introduced. These changes and awareness amongst the motorist about increased monitoring of the traffic violations has made motorists more cautious in their approach, which is why the traffic violations have decreased significantly in Dubai.
Official Statement about the Decrease in Traffic Violations
Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Assistant Chief for Operations Affairs at Dubai Police said that the traffic authorities had suggested some much-needed changes to be made to the traffic rules, which Ministry of Interior accepted and now the gradually improving road safety situation in Dubai justifies the modifications made to the traffic law.
According to him, the new traffic law focuses on the safety of motorists and discourages the reckless driving behavior. Major Saif Al Zafein added that taking motivation from the recent drop in traffic violations in Dubai, the authorities are now striving hard to ensure that the traffic violations don’t rise again. He told that the ultimate aim of the Dubai traffic authorities is to quickly achieve the target of reducing the road deaths to 3 deaths per 100,000 people from the current 6 deaths per 100,000 people.
Major Traffic Violations Recorded in the First Week of July
According to the traffic authorities, over-speeding remained the major concern in the first week of July as motorists violated the speed limits of different roads in Dubai. In the new law, the penalties for speeding 80km above the speed limit of a road include AED 3,000 fine, 23 black points against the driver’s license and impounding of the vehicle for 60 days. This is the maximum penalty for over-speeding, however, the penalties differ on the basis of the extent of over-speeding committed by the driver.
Some other common traffic violations recorded in the first week of July included:
- Poor road discipline
- Inappropriate parking
- Blocking traffic
- Tailgating
- Sudden swerving
The traffic fines for all these violations have been increased in the new traffic law because these are dangerous violations that often lead to fatalities. Tailgating and sudden swerving are two of the most dangerous violations in this list and have resulted in many fatal road accidents in Dubai.
Also read: 4,935 Fines Issued in the First Three Days of July by Dubai Police
Road Safety Situation in Other States of the UAE
While traffic violations decreased in Dubai in the first week of July, over 10,000 traffic violations were recorded in Sharjah. The most common of these violations was jaywalking that refers to pedestrians entering the road from undesignated areas. Overall, the road safety situation is becoming better across the UAE and authorities are trying to spread more awareness about the new traffic rules and road safety practices so that the roads in the UAE become safer for commuting than ever before.
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