Dubai Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of the traffic department at Dubai Police, said that the motorists using phones while driving are “paralysing their brain” and can cause deadly accidents.

“Using a mobile phone while driving can distract motorists and impact their reflexes when facing an emergency situation," Brig Al Mazroui said. 

Recently, many motorists were found reading their social media accounts or texting while driving, endangering the lives of other road users,” Brig Al Mazroui said.

Dubai Police fined motorists involved in 16,099 cases of using phones while driving in first three months of this year.

The total number of fines issued during 2016 stood at 60,364.

The fine for using the phone while driving is Dh800 and four black points.

“It’s a matter of serious negligence when a motorist gets busy with the phone, especially on highways. We spotted many drivers watching videos when driving. Motorists should follow traffic instructions and stop the vehicle if they feel the need to check their phones, or monitor Facebook updates,” Brig Al Mazroui said.