Police patrol drivers trained to chase reckless motorists

Dubai: Police have trained more than 30 police patrol drivers to help them chase reckless motorists.

Brigadier Dr Jamal Al Merri, Deputy Commandant General, honoured 37 police patrol drivers who were trained to chase reckless motorists without harming themselves or other road users.

"Some reckless motorists violate traffic rules and regulations in a way that poses danger to other road users, besides disobeying security and safety calls. Therefore, the Operations Department has trained 37 patrol drivers on the art of driving their vehicle in a way that enables them to chase reckless motorists," he said.

The decision of chasing reckless motorists came following orders of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to come down hard on reckless drivers.

Endangering public

Police vehicles will follow reckless motorists using sirens until they pull over or get close to him and take the registration plate number and the vehicle's description, which then will be sent to other departments concerned.

If the motorist refuses to stop and continues on his way, it will be considered a crime and a criminal case will be registered against him for endangering public security. Reckless drivers will be charged with endangering public safety if they try to flee from the police.

Brigadier Al Merri praised the driving skills displayed by participants through field presentations, which showed their skill in controlling their vehicles in difficult situations.

Colonel Engineer Kamel Al Suwaidi, Acting Director of the Operations Department, said the programme of the five-day workshop included entering between barriers, controlling the vehicle from the front and the back, sudden stop and reversing, reacting in emergencies and driving in a circular way.