Dubai drivers are certainly showing signs of improved driving behaviour as traffic fines fell by 37% in the week following the introduction of the amended federal traffic law on 1st July.
Dubai Police issued 94,964 traffic fines in the seven days leading to 1st July compared to 59,777 fines issued between 1-7th July according to a report in The Gulf News.
Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, assistant chief for operations affairs at Dubai Police, and director of the Federal Traffic Council, said the marked decline suggests motorists are wary of the harsher fines.
“It is a promising development and means that drivers are taking the law seriously as fines have increased,” Maj Gen Al Zafein said. He added that he expects less casualties on the roads within one to two years as drivers will think twice before committing a traffic offence.
“I expect a drop in traffic accidents and casualties as well as fewer traffic offences as drivers become wary of committing even minor offences. More drivers who follow traffic instructions will mean safer roads,” he said.
Maj Gen Al Zafein said that the Federal Traffic Council’s main goal is to reduce the rate of fatalities in traffic accidents to three per 100,000 people from six per 100,000 currently. “We made many suggestions and they were taken into consideration by the Ministry of Interior when approving the amended traffic law,” Maj Gen Al Zafein said.
The most common traffic offences were speeding, lack of road discipline, parking incorrectly, blocking traffic, not leaving enough distance between vehicles and sudden swerving.