Traffic fines at this year's National Day festivities double

More than 1,300 fines are handed out and almost 100 cars confiscated during National Day festivities by Dubai Police.

DUBAI // Ninety-nine cars were confiscated and more than 1,300 fines issued for traffic offences during National Day festivities, Dubai Police have said.

Most of the fines were issued for endangering lives and reckless driving. The penalty for either offence is a fine of Dh2,000 and 12 black points on the driver's licence.

Seized cars are kept for a maximum of three months, on top of any confiscation time stipulated by fines attached to the offence.

There were 146 cars confiscated last year, but the number of fines more than doubled, to 1,345 from 661 fines last year.

Maj Gen Mohammed Saif Al Zaffin, the head of the Dubai Police traffic department who personally patrolled the streets on Thursday and Friday, said there had been a change of attitude among the public.

But Gen Al Zaffin said there were still people who used celebrations as an excuse to create chaos.

"There is still a category of people, mainly young people, who are hopeless," he said.

"No matter how much you raise awareness they continue to exploit celebrations to carry out offences and put their and other people's lives at risk.

"Parents of the young people caught spraying foam on cars were asked to sign an undertaking that this is not to be repeated."

But creating disorder and breaking traffic rules were not confined to youths, Gen Al Zaffin said.

He said he caught a mother who insisted her children could hang out of their car during the parade.

"I personally went to warn her that this endangered her children's lives, and she did not want to listen until I threatened her that I would fine her," Gen Al Zaffin said.