Play by the traffic rules with an e-game

Dubai: An e-game launched by the Dubai Public Prosecution (DPP) on Monday is designed to promote a culture of safe and law-abiding road behaviour in Dubai. A downloadable version of the game will be offered next year.

The e-game is the first of its kind in the world, according to DPP officials, and aims to familiarise motorists with the principles of safe driving and acquaint them to the UAE’s traffic laws and regulations.

Yousuf Al Mutawa, Dubai’s First General Prosecutor, made the announcement. “Today [Monday], DPP launches the traffic game [the name remains unofficial yet] that’s basically an application downloadable on iPads. The e-game is specifically customised to create traffic public awareness amongst the youth and young men, particularly speed-lovers. After downloading the game, the players chose their own plate number and start driving from DPP’s main building [adjacent to Floating Bridge] across Shaikh Zayed Road till they reach Burj Khalifa,” he said.

“The purpose of the game is to inform each player about the traffic violations whenever committed. Safe driving and avoiding traffic violations would credit the player with points that would help him/her qualify to the next stage. Otherwise, the violating player won’t be able to qualify and would be informed about the committed violations,” he said.

The downloadable version of the e-game is expected to be ready by February 1, 2013.

A person playing the game feels like he/she is driving through Dubai’s roads since the application has virtually recreated all existing traffic signals, signboards, buildings, pavements, towers, shops and other landmarks, even showing the exact same number of lanes as are currently present on roads.

“Police cars would also chase the player who commits serious traffic violations. The game ends in an interesting way as a player would be issued a report showing the list of traffic violations and charges that would be levelled against him/her,” Al Mutawa added.

The e-game comes as part of a new list of e-services that DPP launched during Gitex.

Khalifa Bin Deemas, General Prosecutor and Head of the Attorney General’s Technical Office, announced the launching of e-prosecutor, a highly-sophisticated service. “E-prosecutor enables a prosecutor to access the case files from distant places such as crime scenes, or a suspect’s or witness’ house or offices or hospitals. Prosecutors swipe their ID on the iPad and access the case file without them being urged to be physically present in their offices. Any sort of action could be taken through accessing the e-prosecutor service,” he said.

Hind Al Zarouni, the head of DPP’s e-services section, said: “E-laws is another e-service that allows our clients to download three main laws —the Criminal Procedures, Penal Code and Anti-Narcotics [laws] in English language.”