Dubai: The New traffic law introduced on July 1 will be far less kind to truck drivers who flout rules of the road, say Dubai Police.
Authorities have added new provisions meting out stricter punishments to drivers to reduce road deaths stemming from serious crashes.
Major-General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operational Affairs at Dubai Police and head of the Federal Traffic Council, said the new traffic law has added five types of punishment for truck drivers to reduce casualties resulting from accidents after 46 people died last year in accidents involving trucks.
“Truck accidents is a problem on our roads as usually they result in serious injuries and deaths. In the new traffic law, there are new fines and punishments for rule violations by trucks to secure our roads,” Maj-Gen Al Zafein said.
The first of five major fines is driving a heavy vehicle dangerously in a way that endangers his or other people’s lives and driving a heavy vehicle in a way that harms public or private properties — the fine for both is Dh3,000 and suspension of the driver’s licence for one year.
Another new fine is Dh3,000 for a heavy vehicle jumping the red light, for which the driver’s licence will be suspended for one year.
If a heavy vehicle driver causes his or another vehicle to overturn, he would slapped with Dh3,000 fine and one-year suspension of the licence.
“Many trucks are causing traffic jams and blocking roads, so we have made a new provision called ‘a heavy vehicle not abiding by lane discipline’. The fine for this offence is Dh1,500 and 12 black points,” Maj-Gen Al Zafein added.
Another serious offence is loading a heavy vehicle in a way that endangers others or the road — the fine is Dh2,000 and six black points for the driver.
Maj-Gen Al Zafein said the authorities expect the number of deaths on the roads will drop with the implementation of the new traffic law,
“The number dropped from 20 deaths among 100,000 people before 2008 to 15 deaths per 100,000 people after announcing the traffic law in 2008. The current indicator is six deaths per 100,000 in the UAE and our target is three deaths per 100,000 by 2021,” he added.
Police officers can issue traffic tickets in any emirate
Any police officer in the UAE can issue a traffic ticket even if he is in another emirate, according to an order issued by Lt-General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.
“According to the Interior Ministry, any police officer, even if he is not a traffic police officer, can issue a traffic offence fine in any emirate,” said Major-General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operational Affairs at Dubai Police and head of the Federal Traffic Council.
“For example, a police officer working in Fujairah can issue a ticket for a traffic offence in Dubai through the ‘We Are All Police’ programme or by contacting the command room. This programme has become federal. Any person who wants to break the traffic law will now remember that everyone is watching him and this can stop him from committing traffic offences,” he added.
Stiffer penalties for truckers
Dh3,000 fine and one-year suspension of the driver’s licence for driving a heavy vehicle in a way that endangers life or damages property
Dh3,000 fine and one-year suspension of the driver’s licence if the heavy vehicle jumps the red light
Dh3,000 fine and one-year suspension of the driver’s licence for causing heavy vehicle or another vehicle to overturn on the road
Dh1,500 fine and 12 black points for the truck driver who does not abide by lane discipline
Dh2,000 fine and six black points for the driver for overloading a heavy vehicle in a manner that endangers others or the road
Source: Federal Traffic Law
