18-year-old footballer in hospital after car crash

Al Ain: An Emirati football player sustained injuries in a car accident in the early hours of yesterday morning in the Al Yaher district of Al Ain.

Haddaf Al Ameri, 18, was reportedly driving back from a training session at the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium where he was preparing for a match in the second round of the Etisalat Cup.

He was taken to Tawam Hospital and medical tests confirmed the teenager had no major injuries except a bruised shoulder. The doctors said the player would stay under observation in the hospital for 24 hours.

This is the second traffic accident on Al Ain-Abu Dhabi Highway involving a football player in a month. Earlier, Diab Awana, 21, a star UAE footballer, died in a late night traffic accident on September 25. He was travelling back to Abu Dhabi after national team training in Al Ain when his car collided with a truck.

Best young players

Al Ameri plays for Al Ain's first team and is considered one of the team's best young players. He joined the first team last season after his remarkable performance in the juniors and youth teams. He also played for all the UAE national teams of different age groups and was the captain of the juniors' national team that played in the Juniors World Cup in Nigeria.

Al Ain Club CEO, Carlo Nohra, teammates and officials and a number of fans visited the player in hospital.

Abdullah Al Ameri, Haddaf's father, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Shaikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Bin Khalid Al Nahyan, Al Ain Club Chairman, for the attention and care he paid toward his son's condition after the accident.

The death of Awana in September prompted security authorities all over the UAE to start campaigns against speeding and using mobile phones while driving.

While the UAE applies a federal traffic law which means motorists who are caught speaking on the phone without a hands-free kit are hit with a fine Dh200 and four black points, Abu Dhabi has now added a new offence, which is endangering the lives of others. An additional fine of Dh1,000 as well as 12 black points and confiscation of the car for a month will be imposed for this violation, in addition to the Dh200 and four black points stipulated by the law, resulting in a total fine of Dh1,200 as well as 16 black points and confiscation of the vehicle for a month.

Cracking down

Dubai is also cracking down on violators, and drivers have been warned against speaking on the phone or sending text messages while driving.

A recent statement issued by Dubai Police's Traffic Department warned drivers against serious offences that can cause fatal accidents, including jumping a red light, which is the most dangerous violation and in most cases result in death or serious injury, as well as failure to leave a safe distance between vehicles and lane discipline violations, especially by truck drivers, which according to police are a major cause of accidents.