New law proposes cancelling licences of dangerous drivers

Abu Dhabi: A draft law with amendments in federal traffic rules, which include cancellation of driving licence, the introduction of black points, and fines ranging from Dh600 to Dh2,000, has been submitted to the Ministry of Interior.

According to sources at the ministry, the draft will soon be tabled before the Cabinet for debate and approval. The new measures will be implemented after Cabinet approval.

The revised fines include 150 types of violations. It also includes tighter measures for five dangerous violations, including racing and driving vehicles without registration plates.

Motorists involved in violations of a dangerous nature such as extremely fast driving, exceeding the speed limit by 60km per hour, or driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, will get upto 24 black points and fined Dh2,000.

Their licences will also be cancelled. There will be a ceiling of 24 black points.

The new measures, according to sources, have been proposed following a comprehensive report on the country's traffic and road safety system, which shows motorists keep repeating violations due to easy fines and soft laws.

A source at the ministry told Gulf News the draft will be presented to the Cabinet for approval and implementation. "It is a good system successfully implemented in many countries," he added.

The technical committee responsible for amending traffic rules has drafted a list of 150 different types of road violations and revised the fines.

The revised fines for breaking traffic rules range from Dh600 to Dh2,000 in addition to cancellation of the driving licence for dangerous driving.

They also include five types of dangerous violations, which could lead to suspension of a driving licence and a fine of Dh2,000.

The committee, according to Interior Ministry sources, has already submitted the draft, which will soon be tabled before the Federal Cabinet for its approval and implementation.

If approved and implemented, the country for the first time will have an international system where drivers get black points for each violation. There will be a ceiling of 24 black points where a driver will have his/her driving licence cancelled and pay a fine of Dh2,000.

The fine list includes 150 types of violations.

The committee has also listed five dangerous violations, where drivers will get 24 black points, pay a fine of Dh2,000 and get their licences cancelled.

These include racing, driving unregistered vehicles on public roads, exceeding the speed limit by 60km/h and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Fines for making changes to the engine or the chassis, colour of vehicle without official licence or permission is Dh2,000 (three points), driving a vehicle which emits gases or vapours that contain compounds more than the allowed rate Dh2,000 (two points), allowing another person to drive an unlicensed vehicle Dh1,000 (six points) and driving a vehicle in the wrong direction Dh1,000 (six points).

A fine of Dh1,000 (six points) will be imposed on motorists who drive heavy vehicles that do not abide by safety measures.

The draft law stipulates a fine of Dh1,000 (four points) on those who exceed the maximum speed limit at a place where overtaking is prohibited, causing moderate damage to a vehicle, passing or entering of heavy vehicles in prohibited roads and places, carrying and transport of passengers in an illegal way.

The penalty is the same for parking vehicles in front of fire nozzles, at places for people with special needs, ambulances, permitting children under the age of 10 to sit in the front seat of the vehicle, heavy tinting and driving a vehicle that makes a very loud noise.

Total of 24 and licence goes