Jailing dangerous drivers for up to 24 hours could help make the UAE’s roads safer, the country’s top traffic policeman has said.
At present, reckless drivers face 12 points on their licence, a AED2,000 fine and the confiscation of their cars for a month.
However, under a new plan being proposed by General Mohammed Saif Al Zafeen, the assistant commander-in-chief of Dubai Police for Operational Affairs and director of the Federal Traffic Council, drivers that break the rules could spend the night in jail.
“We want tougher punishments for reckless drivers who endanger lives of others on the roads,” he told the 7Days newspaper.
“One solution would be placing them in a detention centre for up to 24 hours.
“This step will make them think twice before committing dangerous offences, as the idea of spending some time in jail is scary.”
The Ministry of Interior is currently considering a proposal from the Federal Traffic Council to enforce jail time for those guilty of sudden swerving, driving on the hard shoulder and tailgating.
Al Zafeen also said that drivers who breach the speed limit by 50 percent or more could also be locked up.
“Speed and reckless behaviour cause 30 per cent of the fatal accidents we see on the roads,” he said.
“We think such a punishment will reduce these numbers. Some motorists don’t care, thinking that they can just pay the fine and pay the money to get their impounded vehicle back.”
According to figures released by Dubai Police last month, ‘tailgating’ – not leaving a safe distance between two cars – was one of the main causes of deaths on the emirate’s roads last year. Tailgating cost 42 lives in 2015 compared to 26 in 2014.
According to the recent UAE Road Safety Monitor published in February, 28 percent of people in the age group of 30-34 also said they have been involved in an accident in the last six months.
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