Negligent drivers with children can be issued a Dh400 fine

Dubai: Police in the UAE are cracking down against careless drivers who allow children to sit in the front seat.

Police in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have launched an awareness campaign to remind motorists that those caught violating the UAE Traffic Law will be issued with a Dh400 fine.

Abu Dhabi Police explained that children below 145 cm and younger than 10 years old are not permitted to sit in the front, and should always be safely secured and fastened with a seat belt.

“If an accident takes place and the child is not wearing the seatbelt, they can be thrown with a force that is similar to falling from the 10th floor,” said police.

Global research shows that seat belts save 40 to 60 per cent of lives and in the case of children, up to 80 per cent of lives.

Police have stressed the need for drivers to install car seats in their vehicles to ensure the safety of children. The Federal Traffic Law indicates that safety seats are mandatory for children under the age of four.

The standard of safety seats approved by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (Esma), which conform to European Union and US standards, state that all child restraint units sold in the country should have a matching certificate.

Child seats 

Seat belt rule