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UAE makes dashboard cameras legal

Dubai - The practice came to light after a person was found to have jumped in front of vehicles twice on two separate occasions in a month.

There is no law in the UAE that criminalises the installation of dash cameras, the Federal Traffic Council has said. A top official has said that motorists can also put up mobile phones with cameras "properly" on the windshield, provided it is done to monitor traffic violations.
Major-General Mohammed Saif Al Zafeen, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police for Operations Affairs - who chaired the council - said some people deliberately jump in front of vehicles to later claim blood money.
The practice came to light after a person was found to have jumped in front of vehicles twice on two separate occasions in a month. The reason he did this was to claim compensation money if he got injured, or blood money his relatives could claim if he died.
This kind of violation can clearly be recorded by dash cameras, said Maj-Gen Al Zafeen.
Furthermore, a camera can lead police to thieves of car number plates. It can also guide the policemen to whoever tries to steal something from the car when it is parked. The council did not find any issue in installing cameras in cars as "it does not pose any traffic problem at all". In fact, latest cars have their own pre-fitted cameras.
"The most important thing of this recommendation is not to breach the privacy of road users by these cameras," Al Zafeen added.

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