DUBAI // The Dubai Traffic Court sentenced a man to three months in jail and suspended his driver's licence for driving under the influence of alcohol - the first drink-driving prison sentence of the new year.
AJ, 23, was convicted by Traffic Court judge Mohammed Mohammed al Batal and fined Dh400 for refusing to show his licence to police, in addition to the jail term and the licence suspension for one year.
He was arrested on December 23 at an accident site on Sheikh Zayed Road. According to the senior traffic prosecutor Yousif al Zarooni, AJ was arrested after losing control of his car at about 4.15am and crashing into concrete barriers on a service road parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road.
When police arrived, he refused to present identity documents to officers.
A breath test showed AJ's blood-alcohol level to be 202mg/dl. He was immediately detained.
Records show prosecutors found damage to roadworks and another vehicle, but the accident did not cause any deaths or serious injuries.
The chief of Dubai Traffic Prosecution, Salah Bu Faroosha, has warned drivers that Dubai has a zero-tolerance policy towards driving under the influence of alcohol.
A legislative amendment to the traffic law in 2007 increased the penalties for the offence. Any person caught driving under the influence of alcohol faces up to three years in prison, or a minimum fine of Dh20,000, or both.
Last year, prosecutors handled 1,092 cases of driving under the influence of alcohol, he said. There were 1,155 such cases in 2009.
Seventy-eight per cent of drivers in drinking cases have seen their licences suspended for three months to one year, he said. Licences were suspended for 859 offenders.
"I would like to advise our fellow drivers to be aware of the traffic regulations and penalties involved with drink-driving. We want them to be mindful and not infringe on the rights of others, otherwise they will have to face the consequences," Mr Bu Faroosha said.
