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Rumours on 'phone driving' debunked

Abu Dhabi - The police also urged the public to get information only from authorised and official sources.

The Abu Dhabi police are dispelling rumours that have gone viral over social media that it has started enforcing new rules for motorists using their mobile handheld phones while at a traffic signal.
In a post on its official Facebook account, the directore of Traffic and Patrols of Abu Dhabi assured the public that social media posts saying that drivers caught using their devices at a stopped light will be fined Dh1,000 plus 12 black points are "thoroughly baseless and untrue."

The police also urged the public to get information only from authorised and official sources. At the moment, those caught using a handheld phone while driving are fined Dh200 and four black points.
The warning comes just days after the Khaleej Times launched a campaign to educate the public about the dangers of using a mobile device while driving, and calling for tougher penalties for those caught doing so. Many readers have said that heftier fines might serve as a deterrent to distracted driving.
The UAE is in fact, however, currently mulling over a proposal to raise the fine to Dh 1,000 and 12 black points. The proposal was submitted by the Federal Traffic Council to the Ministry of the Interior earlier this year.
In neighbouring Dubai, police have recorded about 21,000 mobile phone offences in the first half of this year alone.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com