Abu Dhabi saw a drastic increase in the number of traffic cases being prosecuted during 2017 as the traffic department and judicial authorities combined to speed up the prosecution of minor to major traffic cases. The recently revealed annual report of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department suggested that the number of traffic cases being prosecuted almost tripled in 2017 as compared to 2016. With increased patrolling and installation of advanced traffic monitoring radars, motorists were booked for committing dangerous traffic violations under the improved traffic monitoring system. These traffic violations were prosecuted faster to penalize traffic offenders for dangerous violations more effectively than before.
Details of the Annual Judicial Report on the Prosecution of Traffic Cases
According to the Annual Judicial Report on prosecution of traffic cases, as many as 8,039 traffic cases were prosecuted during 2017, which increased from 2,955 in 2016. It marks an increase of 300% in the number of traffic violations being prosecuted in 2017 as compared to 2016. The authorities revealed that 100% of the traffic cases were adjudicated during 2017, which helped in penalizing the traffic offenders timely. This increase in the prosecution of cases sent a strong warning against traffic offenders who try to flee after causing a dangerous road accident or when stopped by Traffic Police. Besides increased prosecution of traffic cases, some other efforts that helped in improving the road safety situation during 2017 were increased Police patrolling on roads, intense awareness campaigns and enhanced traffic monitoring through advanced radars and cameras.
Also read: A Review of Road Safety Situation in Abu Dhabi during 2017
Official Statement
The massive increase in the number of traffic cases being prosecuted is a commendable effort for which both the traffic authorities and judicial department deserve the credit. Authorities arranged one-day court on a regular basis to adjudicate the pending cases quickly during 2017. An official stated that one-day court was an excellent initiative taken by the authorities with an objective to speed up the traffic cases and issue judgments within the same day of the hearing. The increase in prosecution of traffic cases helped in penalizing errant drivers, especially the repeat offenders who had been threatening the road safety situation in Abu Dhabi time after time.
Authorities revealed that a number of convicted drivers were sent to community service work as a punishment for committing minor traffic violations. The community service punishment has been recently introduced by the authorities and it is another great initiative that caters to the benefits and well-being of people in Abu Dhabi. While all these positive developments are expected to bring a positive change to the mindset of motorists, the timely prosecution of traffic cases is expected to raise the fear of being convicted for serious traffic violations.
Also read: Road Safety Stats for the First Four Months of 2018 Revealed by Abu Dhabi Police
Major Traffic Violations that Were Prosecuted During 2017
Apart from minor traffic violations that were subject to community service punishment, motorists were also prosecuted for a number of major traffic violations during 2017. There are a few violations that the authorities have categorized as the most dangerous traffic violations in Abu Dhabi, considering the elevated road safety risk associated with these violations. If proven guilty for these violations, motorists can face some serious penalties that also include detention of the offender, as per the traffic law.
Here are the major traffic violations for which motorists were prosecuted during 2017:
- Over-speeding
- Jumping the red signal
- Driving under the influence of alcohol
- Racing on roads
- Failure to stop after causing an accident
- Driving in the wrong direction of traffic
All these traffic violations are extremely dangerous as they can cause fatal road accidents. Authorities have advised motorists to avoid these violations through multiple awareness campaigns that are regularly arranged in Abu Dhabi to educate motorists about the risks of committing dangerous traffic violations. These efforts by authorities helped in improving the road safety situation considerably during 2017 as compared to 2016, however, errant drivers were still a major concern whom authorities plan to penalize heavily through timely prosecutions of their offences.
Also read: Traffic Problems in the UAE – A Roundup of 2017
Bottom-line
The road safety situation has been gradually improving in Abu Dhabi since the implementation of recently amended traffic law, which dates back to July 1, 2017. With 100% prosecution of traffic violations committed by motorists and advanced traffic monitoring standards that were introduced in 2017, the precedent has now been set for an improved traffic system, which will help in making Abu Dhabi a safe emirate for all road users.
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