DUBAI 27 Match 2017: A tough new seat belt law is in the offing under which the driver/owner of a car will be liable to pay Dh400 fine for every person not wearing a set belt.
The Federal Traffic Law is scheduled to come into effect from July 1, 2017.
All will be required to buckle up – of course -including the driver, according to Maj. Gen. Saif Al Zafin, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police for Operations Affairs and Chairman of the Federal Traffic Council.
“Such a law helps some European countries, especially Sweden, which has brought down road deaths to 2 per hundred thousand people in Sweden,” he said.
The UAE Traffic Council has been considering a rash of new rules and regulations for some time now to improve safety on the roads, he told Al Bayan Arabic daily.
“The amendments are coming after a four-year study. The main objective is to reduce deaths at the state level. We will begin awareness campaigns and invite the public to commit themselves, in order to save their lives and to avoid violations,” Maj. Gen. Al Zafin said.
Road fatalities are one of the highest causes of deaths in the country.
The unified traffic law includes 114 articles. It is expected to reduce traffic deaths at the level of the state of 6.1 deaths per 100 thousand people to only 3, noting that the number of deaths from traffic accidents in the UAE last year amounted to 725 deaths.
He said the highest fine for a traffic violation will be Dh3,000 + impound of the car + 23 black points – for driving a car without a licence plate.
Maj. Gen. Al Zafin said that the penalties for some irregularities have been increased due to the rising violations that caused accidents.
Child Seats
Another measure that is being taken is to make it a rule to have a car seat for every child under 4-years-old travelling in the car.
Another stiff fine is Dh2,000 if you are driving 60 kmph or higher than the legal speed on the road. The car will be impounded for 30 days along with 12 black points. This is because this is a ‘dangerous’ offence, Maj. Gen. Al Zafin said.
He said there is a fine of Dh3,000 + impound for 90 days in cases 3-wheel recreational vehicles are found to be driving on the country’s roads or in residential areas.
Community Service
Maj Gen. Al Zafin said that the next meeting of the Federal Traffic Council will discuss mandatory community service in hazardous offenses such as recklessness and speeding. The council will also visit the most dangerous 5 roads in the UAE and allocate more signals and reduce speeds in some streets.
He said no children below 10 years of age, or adults below the height of 145 cm in length, will be permitted on the front passenger seat. If the driver is short, a padded seat must be placed on the driver’s seat to allow the driver to better see the road.