Drivers cutting lanes penalised most

Dubai: More than 36,000 traffic fines were issued by the traffic department in Deira during the month of January with drivers flouting lane discipline accounting for the bulk of the penalties.

More than 13,000 of the fines were issued to light vehicles cutting lanes while more than 1,500 fines were given to motorists holding up traffic and another 1,500 fines were given to drivers who stopped in undesignated areas or on pavements.

Lieutenant Colonel Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, deputy director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department, said more than 1,400 fines were issued to heavy vehicles not adhering to their lanes.

Motorists who had parked on the pavement were slapped with 1,200 fines and more than 1,000 fines were given to vehicles with faulty headlamps and tail lights, Al Mazroui said. Over 1,100 fines were handed out to those who had stopped on the side of the road, he added.

Motorists taking wrong U-turns received 942 fines while 731 fines were handed out for not wearing seat belts, 483 for not producing the driving licence or car registration when asked for, he said.

According to Al Mazroui, more than 21,700 of the fines were issued in the absence of the offending motorist.

He reiterated that Dubai Police Chief Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim's announcement earlier this year that motorists delaying fine payments for long periods would be sued in court would be implemented.

The traffic department collected Dh600 million in traffic fines in 2008 throughout Dubai, said Dahi. Over-speeding led to 45 deaths in 2008 compared to 77 in 2007, he said.