Abu Dhabi Police record over 15,000 violations of drivers not giving way to pedestrians

Abu Dhabi: The Traffic and Patrols Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police reported more than 15,000 violations of motorists not giving way to pedestrians in the first six months of the year, and urged motorists to respect the right of way of pedestrians.

In total, 15,588 drivers were reported in the emirate for not slowing down near designated crossings and for not giving way to pedestrians. Abu Dhabi Police called on the drivers to reduce their speed near pedestrian crossings and to pay attention to any pedestrian crossing the road.

The Abu Dhabi Police said drivers must adhere to pedestrian crossings in all areas, including residential neighbourhoods and industrial areas.

Drivers were also warned of six black points along with a Dh500 fine should they fail to adhere to the rules.

The Abu Dhabi Police have regularly carried awareness messages on their social media channels to remind drivers of their obligation when it comes to designated crossings, including released videos of drivers narrowly hitting pedestrians with their cars at zebra crossings.

And while drivers need to follow the rules, so do pedestrians, with the Abu Dhabi Police last year detaining and fining as many as 48,000 pedestrians for crossing the road dangerously and away from their designated areas. The fine for jaywalking in Abu Dhabi is Dh400.

As in the case with drivers, the Abu Dhabi Police have also carried several messages through their platforms urging pedestrians to safely cross the roads using either zebra crossings or the many bridges and underpasses available to them.