The newly amended traffic law in the UAE was implemented on July 1, 2017 and it has changed the mindset of motorists in a positive way. With stricter fines and penalties introduced in the new traffic law, the authorities have aimed at discouraging motorists from committing dangerous traffic violations. Abu Dhabi Police has actually witnessed a significant drop in traffic violations after the implementation of the newly amended law. This has been made possible only because motorists are now more watchful of their driving habits as they fear facing hefty traffic fines and penalties.
Also read: White Point System to be implemented across the UAE
Details of Traffic Violations Recorded Since the Implementation of New Traffic Law
From July 1 to August 31, there were 7,592 traffic violations recorded on Abu Dhabi roads, which shows a substantial drop in violations from previous months. Among other violations recorded in Abu Dhabi since the implementation of the new traffic law, motorists received maximum fines for not complying with the new seatbelt rules. A total of 2,394 fines were issued over seatbelt violations, which is clearly a worrying sign for authorities. Such a high number of seatbelt violations in Abu Dhabi suggests that motorists haven’t adjusted to the new seatbelt rules which have introduced heavier fines and penalties for seatbelt rules violations.
Everything Motorists Need to know about the New Seatbelt Rules
The seatbelt rules in the UAE have been changed, but motorists who are still not aware of it or do not understand it properly can commit the seatbelt violations unintentionally and face hefty fines and penalties. Motorists must know that according to the new seatbelt rules, all passengers in a vehicle must buckle up and the driver of the vehicle will have to face a fine of AED 400 per passenger for not wearing the seatbelt. Along with the AED 400 fine, four black points will also be issued against the driver’s license. Motorists can also face these penalties if they fail to install a child safety seat in the rear with top tethering anchors for children under the age of four. As per the new traffic law, children under four years of age must be strapped in safely in the child safety seats so that they can avoid serious injuries in the event of an accident.
Also read: The UAE Cabinet Approves Policy on Car Safety Seats for Children
Wearing Seatbelts Lowers the Risk of Road Deaths in a Dangerous Accident
According to the figures by World Health Organization, wearing a seatbelt while driving lowers the risk of road deaths considerably in the event of a dangerous road accident. The figures suggest that the risk of fatalities reduce by 40% to 50% for front passengers and 75% for the rear passengers in the event of a dangerous road accident if the occupants of the vehicle are strapped in. The driver of a vehicle should always ensure that all passengers are safely strapped in as this will not only guarantee a safer ride, but also minimize the risk of facing a heavy traffic fine.
Bottom-line
The newly amended traffic law was implemented to improve the road safety situation in the UAE as 2016 was a considerably bad year for road safety. The road deaths increased in 2016 because of reckless motorists who did not obey the traffic rules and committed fatal traffic violations.
It was a challenging task for authorities to bring about a change in the mindset of the motorists by making significant changes to the existing traffic law. While introducing stricter traffic penalties received mixed public reactions, the authorities also had to make the motorists aware of the newly amended law as it also hosted some new traffic violations. For this purpose, the traffic authorities launched multiple awareness campaigns before the implementation of the new law, but a high percentage of seatbelt violations recorded after July 1, 2017, suggests that motorists still need time to better understand and comply with the newly amended traffic law.
If you are planning to buy a new vehicle with advanced safety technologies and improved performance, then don’t forget that with us, you can sell any used car in just 30 minutes while all the post-sale paperwork is handled by SellAnyCar.com’s team.
