Dubai introduces stricter traffic laws, announces fines of up to Dhs100,000

DUBAI: Dubai motorists who break traffic rules on the emirate’s roads face fines of up to Dh100,000 ($27,228) after new regulations were introduced.

The traffic rules have been set up to reduce the amount of dangerous driving in the emirate.

According to local media reports, fines of up to AED50,000 ($13,600) and deportation for expat motorists are among the new penalties. The amended traffic laws come into effect from Thursday.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, issued Decree No 30 of 2023.

The decree concerns the impounding of vehicles in Dubai following serious violations on the emirate’s roads. If a vehicle is impounded for the following reasons, a penalty of AED50,000 ($13,600) will need to be paid to secure its release.

The reasons include riding recreational motorcycles on paved roads, driving a vehicle recklessly or in a way that is a threat to people and property, jumping a red light, driving with a fake or unlawful licence plate, intentionally colliding with a police vehicle, driving under the age of 18, vehicles which are impounded following a road race, without permission from authorities, will be subject to a penalty of AED100,000 ($27,200) to be released.

A lesser fine of AED10,000 ($2,720) must be paid to release an impounded vehicle which has undergone extensive modification to increase speed or noise, evaded police, been driven without licence plates, exceeded the permitted percentage of window tint, under the traffic laws Dubai Police will be able to seize a vehicle if it has clocked up more than AED6,000 ($1,630) in traffic fines.

Motorists will see the impoundment time and fees for release doubled if they are caught reoffending within one year. Motorists in Dubai caught driving faster than 60kph paid a total of Dh53.9 million in traffic fines last year.