Dubai court fines driver Dh3,000, suspends licence for three months after motorcycle crash

Dubai: Dubai’s Misdemeanours Court has fined an Asian driver Dh3,000 and suspended his driving licence for three months after convicting him of causing injuries to a motorcyclist and damaging two vehicles due to careless driving and failure to maintain a safe distance.

The ruling was issued in the defendant’s presence after the court found him responsible for a traffic accident that occurred within the jurisdiction of Al Barsha Police Station, specifically in the Marina area.

According to Emarat Al Youm, the defendant was driving without exercising due care and attention and failed to leave sufficient space between his vehicle and those ahead of him. As a result, he collided with a motorcycle being ridden by the victim, who is of the same nationality,

The crash caused bodily harm to the motorcyclist, as well as material damage to both the car and the motorcycle. This was confirmed through the official police report and the on-site inspection carried out by the relevant authorities following the incident.

The Public Prosecution charged the defendant with two offences: causing injury through negligence and damaging property belonging to others. He was referred to court under the provisions of the UAE’s Traffic Law and its executive regulations, as well as the Federal Penal Code.

During the trial, the defendant appeared before the court and admitted to the first charge relating to causing injury by mistake but denied the second charge of property damage. He also asked the court to show leniency.

In its reasoning, the court said that the evidence on file, including the police report and technical findings, clearly established that the traffic error lay entirely with the defendant, who had driven negligently and without maintaining a safe distance, directly leading to the collision.

The court added that the defendant’s admission was a key piece of evidence, particularly as it was consistent with the other factual and technical proof in the case. It noted that trial courts have full discretion to assess confessions and rely on them if they are satisfied as to their accuracy and consistency with the facts.

The judgment also referred to established rulings by Dubai’s Court of Cassation, which affirm that in criminal cases, a judge’s conviction must be based on the totality of the evidence presented, without being bound to a specific form of proof, so long as the conclusion is reasonable and supported by the record.

The court concluded that the two charges were inseparably linked, as they stemmed from a single act of negligence while driving. As such, they were treated as one offence, with the penalty imposed for the more serious charge, in line with the Federal Penal Code.

Considering the circumstances of the case, the court decided to show a degree of leniency, imposing a Dh3,000 fine and suspending the defendant’s driving licence for three months, starting from the date the ruling becomes final.