24 black points for drunk driving

Persons caught driving under the influence of alcohol in Dubai could get 24 black points, the maximum limit that entails suspension of the driving licence for three months, the emirate’s traffic police chief was reported on Saturday as saying.

The stiff penalty is part of a crackdown by Dubai’s police on drunk driving, which killed 11 people in 2011, Major General Mohammed Al Zafin said.

The clampdown, involving intensified traffic police patrols and awareness campaigns, have started to pay off, with the number of drunk driving cases declining to 27 in February from 67 in February 211, he said.

Quoted by Emirat Alyoum Arabic language daily, he said more police patrols have been deployed near hotels to monitor persons suspected of having alcohol and advise them not to drive their cars.

Zafin said motorists suspected of driving their cars under the influence of alcohol are tested on the spot and their vehicles are seized if they are found to have alcohol in their blood, adding that no limit for alcohol in people’s blood is set under the UAE’s new federal traffic law.

He said the new law also introduced a tougher punishment involving a fine of Dh20,000 and/or jail terms.

“This law has contributed to deterring many drivers…the law also involves a penalty that could reach 24 black points for drivers committing such offences which have led to the death of many innocent people,” he said.

Under the latest federal black point system, the maximum number of black points a motorist can incur in a year is 24 at which point his licence is suspended.

Once a person collects 24 black points, the licence will be suspended for three months. If a motorist collects 24 points for the second time, the license will be suspended for six months.

If it happens for the third time, the licence will be taken away for one year and will not be returned until the driver passes a training course from an institute authorized by the traffic department.

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