Dubai: A top traffic official has suggested that motorists convicted of causing fatal accidents should be placed under a mandatory judicial probationary procedure.
The judicial probationary procedure requires that defendants, who are found guilty of causing fatal accidents by traffic courts, be placed under judicial supervision and observation for a period that is not less than one year, said senior Chief Traffic Prosecutor Salah Bu Farousha, Head of Dubai Traffic Public Prosecution (TPP).
"I call on legislators to amend the UAE Traffic Law by including an article stipulating that defendants convicted of causing fatal accidents be subject to a judicial probationary procedure. During the probation period, traffic prosecutors will provide traffic courts with quarterly reports briefing the judges on the defendants' traffic discipline and behaviour," Bu Farousha told Gulf News.
His suggestion comes in light of supporting Gulf News' campaign "Make It Safe".
"We highly support Gulf News' campaign and hope it creates effectual difference in road safety and respecting traffic rules and regulations. The suggested procedure will ensure that the defendant does not commit any serious or dangerous traffic offence during the probationary period. The new stipulation [once approved and introduced into the Traffic Law] will also require that a defendant be subject to an obligatory enrolment in a driving institute to improve his/her attitude towards abiding by traffic rules and regulations," said TPP's Head.
Public awareness
Bu Farousha said Gulf News' safety campaign is an excellent initiative that will create public traffic awareness and ultimately help in making the roads safer and clear of dangerous and inattentive drivers.
Deliberating more on the suggestion, Dubai's Senior Chief Traffic Prosecutor said: "The defendant will have to undergo a community service programme for a certain period of time. The community service programme will include specific tasks such as presenting lectures to students about the hazards of inattentive and unlawful driving."
On the other hand, Bu Farousha pointed out that after a minimum six months of being subject to the probationary procedure, the defendant has the right to ask for the probation to be lifted, following a certain procedure.
"The defendant can file a petition to the traffic court requesting that he be pardoned for the remaining time of the probationary period.
"However, traffic prosecutors will submit a report about the defendant's traffic behaviour during the probationary period before the traffic court decides whether to lift the probation or not," he added.
‘Road deaths'
Bu Farousha pointed out that the TPP has and always will be strict in enforcing the traffic law, particularly with individuals who are involved in fatal accidents. "I don't believe that having multiple nationalities in one society is a main cause for increase in road deaths.
"On the contrary, the increase in fatal accidents is due to wrong and unlawful individualistic traffic behaviour regardless of the driver's nationality. And the proof is quite evident as there might be a large number of individuals from the same nationality but only a few from that nationality may be involved in fatal accidents," he added.
