Driver smashes into radar while driving and using phone in Sharjah

Sharjah: Sharjah Police is out to educate motorists on the dangers of talking over the phone while driving.

Drawing from actual incidents that have occurred on Sharjah roads, the police warned motorists on the dangers of distracted driving.

Captain Saud Al Shaiba, Director of Traffic Awareness and Traffic Media Branch, told Gulf News that using mobile phone can be more distracting than you think.

One motorist in Sharjah recently learnt his lesson the hard way. The footage captured by the radar showed how the accident occurred by distracted driving. In the video, the motorist is seen driving his golden Honda Accord on Safeer Mall Road. Busy on this phone, the driver loses control of the steering, climbs on to the pavement and crashes into the radar. The car finally settles on the pavement. The front of the car was damaged in addition to the damages caused to the radar.

Police was moved to the site and reviewed the footage where the driver confessed. The driver was fined Dh800 in addition to four black points for using a mobile phone while driving. He will also be responsible for paying the cost of the damages to public property, which will be estimated by a committee.

Captain Saud Al Shaiba said the reckless drivers had been either caught by traffic officers or on cameras on various roads across the emirate. The motorists were caught either talking or texting on phones, taking pictures or shooting videos with their hand-held devices while driving.