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28 March 2024

2.3m traffic offences in Dubai in 2012

Published

Drivers committed over 2.3 million traffic offences in Dubai in 2012, a whopping average of more than 6,470 violations a day, with speeding remaining the most common offence.

Police data also showed more than 44,000 motorists used their mobile phone while driving in violation of existing road rules and the emirate’s traffic police chief said drivers mistakenly believe such offences are recorded only in the police presence.

The figures by Major General Mohammed Al Zafin showed 2.36 million offences were recorded on Dubai’s roads last year and nearly 1.9 million of the tickets were issued by the traffic police in the absence of the drivers.

The offences last year, a result of intensified police patrols and the installation of more speed cameras, meant that an average 6,474 road violations were committed. The figures also showed every car was involved in at least four offences in 2012.

Speeding offences stood at 1.49 million, accounting for nearly 67 per cent of the total violations while other main offences involved blocking traffic, wrong parking, failure to use the seat belt while driving and the use of mobile phones while the car is moving.

“There were 44,461 offences involving the use of mobile phones while driving…nearly 36,291 of those tickets were issued in the absence of the drivers,” Zafin said, quoted by the Dubai-based Arabic language daily Emarat Al Youm.

“There is a public confusion regarding this type of offence…people believe the law requires the police to record this offence in the presence of the driver but this is not true…the only difference is that the offence in the drivers’ presence involves black points while that in their absence is confined to paying fine.”