Distracted driving is a serious traffic offence in the country punishable by an Dh800 fine and four black points
Screengrab: Abu Dhabi Police video
Two major traffic accidents were caught on camera by Abu Dhabi Police, highlighting the dangers of stopping in the middle of the road without reason. The incidents were shared in an awareness video by the authority on Friday.
The video demonstrated how such behaviour led to pile-ups and multiple accidents, as other drivers not paying attention collided with stationary vehicles, causing further disruption.
A four-wheel drive can be seen stopping in the middle of the road, and the driver gets out of the vehicle casually and leaves the door open. The vehicle behind slows down in time, switches on hazard lights and tries to manoeuvre around. However, a third car ramps into both vehicles at a high speed. The original offending driver seems not to have escaped the collision, while the crash's impact sends the second vehicle smashing into the barrier on the left.
This caused a major pile-up, and multiple vehicles could be seen stationary with hazard lights on. However, a distracted driver ploughed into the vehicles that had come to a stop due to the earlier accident. This occurred at what appears to be a late hour in the evening, despite the hazard lights of the vehicle in front. The number of injuries in the accident is unknown.
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Watch the video below as shared by Abu Dhabi Police:
Motorists were reminded by the directorate of Traffic and Security Patrols of Abu Dhabi Police not to stop in the middle of the road for any reason. Drivers are urged to head to the nearest exit to keep everyone safe. However, in case the motorists are unable to move their vehicle, they are urged to call the Command and Control Centre at 999 for help to avoid blocking traffic and causing accidents.
In a social media post, Dubai Police also urged motorists to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, for their safety and others.
Distracted driving is a serious traffic offence in the UAE punishable by an Dh800 fine and four black points. Meanwhile, stopping in the middle of the road incurs a penalty of a Dh1,000 fine and six black points.
Majority of road accidents in the UAE are caused by traffic violations — with deaths up by 3 per cent due to motorists' 'misbehaviour', according to a recent report.
The recently uploaded ‘open data’ on road safety statistics for 2023 by the Ministry of Interior (MOI) showed that there were 352 road fatalities across the country in 2023.
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