Video: Reckless Dubai driver arrested, fined Dh50,000 for tailgating, dangerous overtaking

A motorist has been arrested and fined Dh50,000 for tailgating and overtaking another vehicle dangerously, the Dubai Police said on Thursday.

The police released a video that showed just how recklessly the motorist was driving on the busy Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road:

As seen in the video, the driver swerved and drove dangerously close to the other vehicle as he overtook it from the right. Once he got ahead, he braked multiple times — another dangerous act that could have resulted in a major accident.

Maj-Gen Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of the General Department of Traffic at Dubai Police, said traffic patrol officers did not react in haste. "They carefully monitored and recorded the reckless driver's actions, and chose the right moment to bring him to a stop safely," he said.

The officer condemned the behaviour that “violates public standards and the rights of road users”. The vehicle has been seized, with the motorist being slapped with 23 black points on his driving licence.

“Aggressive driving behaviour demands resolute action,” he said, adding that the police invoked a recent law implemented in Dubai, stipulating heftier fines for recklessness on the road.

The law makes reckless driving among serious traffic offences in Dubai that will require motorists to shell out Dh50,000. The offence comes under ‘driving a vehicle recklessly or in a manner that poses a danger to lives or properties’. The same penalty applies for jumping a red light. A stiffer penalty of Dh100,000 is applied for racing on the roads.

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