Dubai residents report more than 16,500 reckless driving and traffic offences this year

March was the busiest month for the We Are All Police service

Official statistics revealed that community members reported 16,572 traffic offences to the police that resulted in fines being issued. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dubai Police recorded 34,869 reckless driving and traffic violations in the emirate via the 'We Are All Police' programme during the first seven months of the year.

In a bid to keep roads safe, Dubai Police encourage members of the public to report reckless driving and other traffic violations on its smart app or by calling the non-emergency number 901.

Official stats revealed that community members reported 16,572 traffic offences to the police that resulted in fines being issued.

Dubai Police officers submitted 8,976 offences, while public surveillance cameras helped the force to issue a further 9,321 fines offences in the seven-month reporting period.

“The service intends to help people who find themselves exposed to situations they would wish to report as they are often victims of aggressive driving that exposes them to risk,” said Col Jumaa bin Suwaidan.

“Road users might face a situation on the roads by reckless drivers who endanger the lives of other road users that require them to call the police or use the service via the Dubai Police app.

“We can’t issue a fine against the reckless driver immediately but we will call and warn them and check the cameras before issuing a ticket.”

When reporting a violation, members of the public provide details such as the location of the incident and the plate number of the offending vehicle.

He said this programme provides drivers with an opportunity to keep track of each other to lead to better driving attitudes on the roads.

The month of March was the busiest for the service as Dubai Police recorded 5,822 offences, while June was the second highest with 5,735 offences.

Any police officer can also use the app or call the command centre to report violations. In that case, the fine will be issued right away without the need for verification.

The service, which was launched in 2014, helped Dubai Police catch nearly 30,000 traffic offenders last year.

Offences that can be reported through the app include parking on pavements, parking behind and blocking vehicles, parking in prohibited areas, and parking in front of fire hydrants or in spaces allocated for disabled people and ambulance parking.

Dubai Police said motorists should never use the app while driving.

Extra road lane eases Dubai-Sharjah traffic

• 

  The extra lane is expected to speed up traffic immediately. Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  What should be a short 15 minute drive between the two cities often took 45 minutes to an hour. Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  A view of the new lane with Sharjah in the background. Pawan Singh / The National