Traffic violations down 5.3% in Dubai

The number of traffic violations in Dubai witnessed a decline during the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year, according to Dubai Traffic Police.

The number of offences recorded from January to September 2009 was 1,800,083, a police statement said. The number of offences recorded during the same period in 2010 amounted to 1,700,088, showing a decline of 5.3 per cent.

On the other hand, statistics from General Command of the Dubai Police show a high number of dangerous violations.

According to police, the leading traffic violation was ignoring safety belt rules with 62,437 fines issued during the nine months compared to 27,995 during the same period in 2009, an increase of 43,442 violations.

Pedestrian crossing roads from non-designated places recorded 24,283 violations while the number was 14,538 last year, an increase of 8,745 offences.

Violations of parking in prohibited places increased from 16,166 to 20,953. This was followed by the offence of not leaving sufficient distance between vehicles, which rose from 27,773 to 32,086, an increase of 4,787 offences.
 
As well as violation parking in forbidden places witnessed a rise from 87198 to 89 721 violations with an increase 2523 violations.

The offence of exceeding the maximum speed limit increased from 196,662 to 198,514, an increase of 1,852 offences.

The offence of suddenly moving from one lane to another registered an increase from 5,386 to 7,036 violations, up 1,650 offenses, followed by jumping the red light that rose from 12,671 to 13,703 violations, an increase of 1,032.

The offence of driving with unfit tyres increased from 9,272 to 9,894, up by 622, followed by the violation of U-turn from non-designated areas that increased from 13,818 to 14,121, up 303.

However, there was a decline in three types of dangerous offences. The violation of not driving in the mandatory lane registered 162,368 incidents during the first nine months of 2009 compared to 124,540 in 2010, a decline of 37,828. The offence of obstructing the movement of traffic declined from 148,175 to 111,042, down 37,133. And the violation of overtaking from the road shoulder declined from 4,352 to 3,897, down 465.