Police are planning an awareness campaign on the dangers of texting and driving. The fine for using a mobile phone while driving is Dh200 and four black points.
Dubai: Despite a raft of warnings against use of mobile phones while driving, motorists continue to place themselves and others in harm’s way by keeping their eyes on their smartphones instead of the road, say police.
And the faster the speed, the more likely road mishaps may turn deadly.
Many people, especially youth, still do not take seriously the risks and dangers of texting-and-driving or being distracted when driving.
Colonel Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Director of Dubai Traffic Police, said that anything that distracts people from driving, even changing the channel on the radio, puts the driver and the people around him at risk.
The fine for using the phone while driving is Dh200 and four black points.
The Dubai Traffic Police department issued 40,957 fines for motorists who were using their mobile phones while driving, in the period between January and November 2014.
The large number of fines issued for this offence, he said, shows that it is a phenomenon.
“We are looking into creating an awareness campaign to warn against the dangers of texting and driving in particular.”
“All it takes for an accident to happen is a second. When the vehicle is going at more than 80km/hr, it is very difficult to control it; Even the best of professional drivers cannot fully control a vehicle at that speed.” Col Al Mazroui said.
He urged youth especially to not throw caution to the wind and think that they are capable drivers and can drive and use their phones at once. “Stay away from any distraction so you can get safely to your destination.”
While there are no specific statistics on accidents caused by drivers on their phones, there were 111 accidents caused by motorists who were distracted or careless, between January and November 2014.
Six people died and 100 were injured in those accidents.
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