UAE: Stricter fines, potential jail time for crossing the road from non-designated areas
Civil, criminal liability on jaywalkers for crossing roads with speed limit of over 80km/h
Dubai: Crossing the road from anywhere except a pedestrian crossing or footbridge will soon cost you a lot more than just a fine. The UAE’s new traffic law is putting in place stricter regulations to curb jaywalking, with heavier fines, possible jail terms and criminal and civil liability on people who cross the road without following traffic rules.
While the current law levies a fine of Dh400 on pedestrians who cross the road from undesignated areas, the new law – Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on traffic regulations – puts in place stricter penalties, especially in cases where the act leads to a traffic accident.
What is the penalty for jaywalking?
Article 7 of the new law, on ‘controls for using the road’, mentions in sub-clause 4 that pedestrians, or those who are on a cycle, e-scooter or any such personal transportation equipment, should not stop in the middle of the road, or cross the road from a non-designated area.
It goes on to state: “In all cases, pedestrians may not cross roads whose speed limit exceeds 80 km/h and pedestrians bear any civil or criminal liability resulting from failure to comply with that.”
Article 39 (2) of the law also states that if any person crosses from a non-designated place on roads with speed limit of over 80km/h or more, he or she faces three months in jail and/or a fine of not less than Dh10,000.
But what does criminal or civil liability mean?
“Basically, if you are not at a pedestrian crossing and are crossing the road, if you meet with an accident because a car was driving within the permitted speed limit of 80km/h or more, you are not eligible to get any damages or compensation under the new law and can be penalised as well under Article 7(4) and Article 39 (2),” Navandeep Matta, senior associate at Kochar and Co. legal consultants Dubai, told Gulf News.
You can also be liable to pay the motorist for any damages you may cause to the vehicle or the driver.
“If my car gets damaged because a person crossed the road where there was no pedestrian crossing on a road with a speed limit of 80km/h or more, the pedestrian may be liable to pay for it,” Matta added.
If you are not at a pedestrian crossing and are crossing the road, if you meet with an accident because a car was driving within the permitted speed limit of 80km/h or more, you are not eligible to get any damages or compensation under the new law and can be penalised as well under Article 7(4) and Article 39 (2)
1. Whether you are walking or riding an e-scooter or any such ‘personal transportation’ like a bicycle or even a skateboard, you cannot cross a road, except from designated crossings, like a zebra crossing or a footbridge.
2. If the road has a speed limit of 80km/h, and you are found crossing the road from a non-designated area, you bear any civil or criminal liability resulting from failure to comply with that.
3. If you are crossing the road from a non-designated place and cause an accident, you face imprisonment and/or a fine of not less than Dh5,000 and not more than Dh10,000.
4. If you cross a road with a speed limit of over 80km/h from a non-designated place, you face three months in jail and/or a fine of not less than Dh10,000.
Driver’s responsibility
The law also protects pedestrians who cross the road from designated areas, by stipulating the responsibilities of drivers in the UAE. As per Article 5 on the vehicle driver’s obligations, you are required to slow down at the entrances and exits of educational and health institutions. When you see a cross walk, make sure you stop completely and only start driving after pedestrians who have started to cross the road have crossed.
Today, Abu Dhabi Police also issued additional guidelines for motorists to always give priority to pedestrians when they are driving in school areas or in residential areas, even when there is no pedestrian crossing. According to the police, these areas have a maximum speed limit of 40 km/h and motorists need to give priority to pedestrians, regardless of whether or not there is a pedestrian crossing on the road.