Dubai: A proposal to give police authorities of each emirate the authority to control car modifications is awaiting approval by the cabinet.

Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Assistant to the Dubai Police Chief for Operations Affairs and Chairman of the Federal Traffic Council (FTC), said that the council has made changes to a number of articles of the Executive regulation list of the Federal Traffic Law, which have been submitted to the cabinet for approval.

“Car modification will be controlled by the police authorities and they will determine the mechanic workshops that are allowed to perform the modifications and the type of modifications,” he said, following the council’s meeting on Thursday.

The old regulations allowed motorists to transport people who are injured in traffic accidents, and it also gave permission to people doing so to exceed the speed limit, which will no longer be the case.

“Everyone should drive safely at all times no matter what the situation.”

Proposed changes

Other recommendations include looking into blood-alcohol levels while driving, pedestrians walking on the road in the absence of a pavement to be considered illegal and making honking horns for no reason illegal all day — and not just between 12am-6am, in residential areas, near hospitals and places of worship.

“We are also changing the law regarding not allowing children under the age of ten to sit in the front seat, taking into consideration a person’s height not age,” Maj Gen Al Zafein said.

The new height, as well as the blood alcohol levels issue, will be determined in the FTC’s next meeting.

Maj Gen Al Zafein said that for closure or partial closure of a street or a road for an activity, permission should be taken from the licensing authority of the emirate, but the police of the emirate must be informed too.

“Wheelchairs and electronic wheelchairs will no longer be allowed to be used on the road, only on the pavement and that is for the user’s own safety,” he added.

Cars will not be allowed to tow other cars on the main road under the new recommendations.