Dubai: Dubai radars don’t catch tailgaters, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Assistant to the Dubai Police Chief for Operations Affairs, said it is difficult for motorists to figure out the 10-20-metre safe distance recommended on inner roads and the larger distance they should keep on outer roads where the speed limit is much higher.
That is why Dubai Police did not activate the radars to catch tailgaters as was initially planned for July last year.
“If you ask someone what 10 metres or 20 metres looks like, they would not know exactly,” said Maj Gen Al Zafein, adding that if they programmed radars to catch cars that weren’t maintaining a certain distance, the machines would catch them if they were even a few centimetres closer than recommended.
He said this would have caused other issues such as people being too scared and leaving large gaps that can lead to more traffic problems. That is why, he said, they will not be activating the radars to catch those who do not leave a safe distance.
However, the police are considering activating them to catch those who drive dangerously close, ie leaving only one to two metres between vehicles.
The officer said he believes that detaining reckless drivers for 24 hours will ensure they do not repeat the offence. He ruled out discounts on traffic fines, saying it would be an invitation for more violations, accidents and fatalities, as fines are a good deterrent.
