Not just Dubai, stop tailgating on all UAE roads

Dubai is done with the antics of tailgaters and has resolved to get them off the roads, which is a welcome development. Radars on the emirate’s roads have been activated to clock speeds and track the distance motorists maintain with respect to the vehicle in front of them.

The gadgets help police keep an eye on offenders whose speeds exceed 80km/h. A safe distance of 5 metres is just what the cops ordered to stop bullying on the roads— which could save lives because people will turn down the aggression and won’t resort to ramming the rear of the vehicle ahead of them. Those clicked violating this safety rule will be slapped with a Dh400 fine; four black points will be also added to their driving record.

Campaigns have not worked to bring down accidents caused by the dangerous driving practice. Eleven people have died this year in Dubai in traffic accidents resulting from tailgating. Dubai even launched a two-month campaign themed ‘Maintain Enough Distance’ which failed to stop rash motorists fuelled by a rush of adrenaline which put lives at risk.

Police then installed these cameras on the emirate’s main roads from July 1 to track and make it hard for reckless drivers to get away.

Last year, there were 26 victims of tailgating— some of them may have panicked and lost control of their vehicles when the driver behind them came too close, flashed and honked them out of their way. The young and restless have been blamed for most of these accidents.

Police statistics show this dangerous practice is the third biggest cause of accidents after careless driving and jaywalking in Dubai.

Officials said 19,975 fines were issued when tailgating violators were caught by police patrols. In 2014, a whopping 69,964 tickets were issued to motorists who stayed too close for comfort on the roads. Abu Dhabi reported more than 200 incidents of tailgating which led to 22 deaths last year, according to statistics.

These radar-cameras make it easier for police to keep track of road bullies without deploying more patrols on busy streets and highways.

It also falls in line with Dubai’s plans to curb roads deaths to zero by 2020; and the police force in the emirate has been quick to adopt new technology to meet its goals.

Defensive driving has been taught during driving lessons, but many drivers do not put it into pratice in actual conditions.

With more horsepower, people at the wheel believe they have the licence to speed — which is an invitation to kill or maim. Driving aggressive mindsets off the roads will be a daunting task but police in the emirate have been swift in enforcing the rules to rein in errant motorists.

Here’s hoping the long arm of the traffic law quells tailgating in other emirates as well.