Drunk driving in the United Arab Emirates, particularly in Dubai, is severely punished, and the authorities leave no room for compromise, Emirates 24|7 has reported. According to the head of the emirate’s traffic police, Major General Mohammed Al-Zafin, violators face the maximum penalty of 24 black points, which automatically entails the deprivation of their driving license for three months.
According to him, such a tough policy is part of a wider strategy aimed at minimizing accidents caused by drunk drivers – in 2011 alone, such cases claimed the lives of 11 people. Measures to strengthen control are already showing positive results. According to traffic police statistics, the number of drink-driving incidents has fallen from 67 in February 2011 to 27 in the same month in 2012.
Constant patrolling
This has been made possible by constant patrolling, especially in areas near hotels, as well as awareness campaigns carried out among the public. Police officers on the spot have the power to quickly check suspicious drivers and, if alcohol is detected, to impound vehicles. Unlike many other countries, the UAE does not have a blood alcohol limit above which a driver can be considered fit to drive.
All cases of drunk driving – regardless of the alcohol concentration – are classified as a serious offence, which carries administrative and criminal liability. As General Al-Zafin explained, drivers are checked on the spot, and if they are found to be intoxicated, fines, car impoundments and criminal sanctions are applied.
New UAE Traffic Law
The new federal traffic law adopted in the UAE has increased the responsibility for driving under the influence of alcohol. Now the violator faces a fine of up to 20,000 dirhams and/or imprisonment, depending on the circumstances of the violation. In addition, in such cases, the maximum number of black points is automatically accrued – 24, which is considered the most serious indicator in the system of administrative violations. As Al-Zafin emphasized, the new provisions of the law “have a deterrent effect and have already reduced the level of road fatalities.”