Police catch man with 331 road offences

A man was arrested for running up more than Dh100,000 in traffic fines, police say.

UMM AL QAIWAIN // Luck ran out for the emirate's worst driver, who has committed 331 traffic offences, when he drove against the traffic in front of police yesterday.

Police nabbed the Emirati, 23, who was on a wanted list as UAQ's biggest traffic offender this year, amassing fines worth Dh103,000 - then released him after impounding his car.

"Most of his traffic violations were speeding and had been taken by the road radars on different roads," said Lt Col Khamis Saleem Buharoon, the director of the UAQ Police traffic department.

"He has committed most of the violations this year and this makes him the biggest violator so far this year."

The man yesterday drove on to a road in the opposite direction of the traffic just in front of a police patrol team, who arrested him immediately, Lt Col Buharoon said.

He said the offender's car would not be returned until all traffic fines had been paid.

Last year UAE Police impounded the car of another Emirati, also in his early 20s, who had committed 159 traffic offences and accumulated a total of Dh88,350 in fines.

Most of his offences were speeding and ignoring red lights.

Lt Col Buharoon added a great many offenders had paid fines in the past month during a National Day discount of 50 per cent.

"So far about 4,400 fines have been cleared since the offer began," he said.

The offer ends on December 27.