Dubai: Police fined a total of 37,519 motorists who failed to fasten seatbelts during the first seven months of this year, compared to 42,291 fines through 2016.
Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Director of the Traffic Department of Dubai Police, said the number of fines for seatbelt violations had been high in the months leading up to July — when police fined 2,621 drivers — after the new traffic law was implemented. The July figure, he said, compared with 8,102 fines for seatbelt violations issued in January this year.
“The seatbelt is so important as it reduces injuries in case of accidents. The fine for not wearing a seatbelt is DhDh400 and 4 black points under the new traffic law,” Brigadier Al Mazroui said.
The police fined 5,786 drivers in February, 5,933 in March, 5,967 in April and 6,351 drivers in May for seatbelt violations. The penalties dropped dramatically in June to 2,759 soon after the new traffic law was announced.
The new traffic law came into force on July 1. “We hope the new traffic law will reduce violations,” Brigadier Al Mazroui added.
Meanwhile, Dubai Police have warned mothers who sit on the front seat with their children in their laps.
Brigadier Al Mazroui, said they still see mothers putting their newborn children in their laps and sitting on the front seat without knowing it poses a serious risk to children.
He urged drivers to fasten their seatbelt and ask all passengers to do so and to strap up children under 10 in the back seat.
“I urge mothers not to carry their children in their laps while sitting on front seat even if they used seatbelts. They don’t know how dangerous is this behaviour until they have an accident,” Brigadier Al Mazroui said.
He said children could be thrown against the dashboard or window in case of an accident or sudden braking.
