UAE: Do tailgating, other aggressive driving behaviours count as traffic offences?

Tailgating remains one of the most common aggressive and dangerous driving behaviours. In the UAE, drivers can get fined Dh400 and four black points for tailgating, experts have warned.

Recently, the Dubai Police arrested a delivery man for deliberately knocking down another rider. The reckless driver was charged in court while the rider who was knocked down was not seriously injured.

Violent incidents of road rage are uncommon in the UAE and there are strict laws against it. But there are other aggressive tactics that not only intimidate but also endanger other road users, including continuous flashing of headlights, unnecessary blaring of horns, illegal use of the hard shoulder to overtake, and tailgating – where a motorist drives very close to the vehicle in front to force its driver to abruptly change lane.

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“Tailgating increases the chance of a collision should the other driver suddenly put the brakes or swerve abruptly. It is one of the leading causes of serious accidents, and it usually happens in the innermost left lane that is used for used for overtaking,” Dr Mostafa Al Dah, founder of MA-Traffic Consulting, told Khaleej Times on Wednesday.

“Generally speaking, I have seen dangerous behaviour of motorists on the road, like they have no regard for their lives at all. Sometimes it starts with ignorance but this leads to aggression from others. Other dangerous driving behaviours are ⁠entering the road without checking for approaching cars; ⁠stopping in middle of the road; ⁠dropping off or picking up passengers in a live lane, and more,” added the Emirati traffic safety researcher and former head of traffic studies section at Dubai Police.

In a more serious incident, a Dubai motorist was arrested and fined Dh50,000 for tailgating, and dangerous overtaking back in August last year. 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. The vehicle was seized and the motorist got 23 black points on his driving licence. He was asked to shell out Dh50,000 before his confiscated car was released as the offence came under ‘driving a vehicle recklessly or in a manner that poses a danger to lives or properties’.

‘Always in a hurry’

Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, said time pressure or the excuse of running late is the main reason why motorists misbehave on the road.

“Overall, we have to live with the fact that we witness many acts of non-caring and selfish behaviour pretty much every time we hit the roads. Often we have the impression that we drive 'against each other', rather than 'with each other',” he added.

Edelmann also said the heterogeneous culture in the UAE is a factor. “There is the omnipresent rush in the country. It attracts more people and our roads are getting busier. The mixture of nationalities with their different perceptions of what is polite and what is not – often linked to their driving culture experiences back home – make our roads a tough place to be,” he explained:.

“We previously conducted a research project and we found out only 34 per cent think that other drivers are ‘polite and caring’ drivers,” he continued, underscoring: “Politeness must be established, broadly and consistently communicated and ingrained into the behaviour of all drivers, in order to create a strong base of better road safety.”

“We need to establish a more caring attitude on our roads. We need to understand, that we are in it together. We need to look out for each other. We need to protect everyone. This can only happen if we reflect on our behaviour and always display a caring, polite and non-egoistic attitude,” he added.

Edelmann said proper time management is the best remedy to avoid running late. “We repeat ourselves by stating that we need a strong education and awareness push towards proper time management. We must leave early and plan for possible delays on our routes so we can drive safely and with careful consideration of others,” he added.

Meanwhile, here are some road safety etiquette:

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