A new law to fine drivers or their passengers if they put any part of their body out of the vehicle when the vehicle is in motion was discussed at a Federal Traffic Council Meeting.
Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Assistant to the Dubai Police Chief for Operations’ Affairs and Chairman of the Federal Traffic Council (FTC), also proposed creating a new law to punish drivers who are preoccupied with other things other than driving and call the violation “neglect and lack of attention while driving”.
The suggestion came during a Federal Traffic Council meeting he was chairing at the Dubai Police Officers Club. Major General Al Zafein pointed out the seriousness of some acts of people while driving, which he said could lead to serious accidents. Putting on make-up, adjusting the male head-dress, reading a book or newspaper, and using the mobile phone are some of the most popular actions that distract the driver and take away attention from the road, he said.
Distracted drivers can cause accidents that could cause deaths. So, rules should be put in place to reduce this risk, Maj Gen Al Zafein said.
The meeting also saw a number of other proposals that all aim at making the streets safer by tightening the rules for infractions that involve recklessness and inattention.
Some of the suggestions included fining or increasing the fines and black points or impounding period for drivers who are found racing in the streets, driving recklessly, driving in a way that endangers the lives of others, or driving 60km/h over the speed limit.
According to the latest statistics by Dubai Traffic Police, there were almost half a million traffic offences committed within the first two months of this year. Most of the violations were for driving over the speed limit.
There were 26,552 fines issued for parking in prohibited areas, 23,438 fines for not driving in the designated lane, and 22,033 fines for drivers obstructing the flow of traffic.
There were 45 deaths in the first three months of this year in 41 accidents, 10 of which were run-over accidents.
