Dubai Police have warned motorists involved in minor accidents not to stop vehicles in the middle of busy roads and motorways.
A senior officer told The National that many drivers stop in the middle of a road after a minor accident in an attempt to prove the other party was at fault.
“Dubai Police issued 7,600 tickets for drivers stopping in the middle of the road for no reason during the first half of this year,” said Brig Jumaa bin Suwaidan, deputy director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department.
“The problem is some drivers insist on stopping in the middle of the road following a minor accident to prove they are not behind the minor accident but they don’t know they can become responsible for deadly accidents.”
A total of 11,565 tickets were issued for the same offence in 2021.
The fine for the offence is Dh1,000 and six black points on a driving licence.
Dubai Police said five accidents had been recorded so far this year as a result of motorists stopping in the middle of the road following a minor accident, compared with 11 in the whole of 2021.
Three people have died and nine were injured this year as a result of the offence, compared with eight deaths and 21 injuries for the whole of last year.
Another common scenario police are dealing with is a vehicle breaking down or running out of fuel.
Brig bin Suwaidan said if motorists cannot move their vehicle, then they should use their hazard lights and stay on the side of the road.
“Stay alert and calm to avoid crashes with vehicles coming from behind,” he said.
“After staying in a safe spot, the driver can call the police. The patrols can reach the site in a record time to take precautionary measures to prevent accidents and preserve motorists' lives.”
He also urged motorists to carry out regular maintenance and checks on their vehicles, especially the tyres, which are one of the major reasons behind breakdowns and sudden stops.
“Always remember, serious accidents can happen in seconds,” the Dubai Police official warned.
According to data provided by vehicle insurers Tokio Marine and RoadSafetyUAE, which analysed almost 2,500 insurance claims, dehydration that causes a concentration lapse and road debris forcing cars to swerve were cited as common factors in accidents, as well as motorists failing to keep up with car maintenance and driving in hot weather.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Scores
Wales 74-24 Tonga
England 35-15 Japan
Italy 7-26 Australia
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
