ABU DHABI // The procedure after being involved in a car accident may seem like common sense, but many drivers often face the dilemma of waiting for the police to arrive or moving their vehicles from the road.
“Every day I come across drivers who refuse to move their vehicles from the road,” said Ahmad Ramadan, 43, who has lived and worked in Abu Dhabi for 14 years. “They would rather wait for the police patrol to arrive to decide who’s at fault, often causing a massive traffic congestion.”
As of last Monday, motorists in Abu Dhabi now run the risk of a Dh200 fine if they fail to move their vehicles from the road, the Abu Dhabi Police's Traffic and Patrols Directorate announced last week. Motorists who are involved in minor accidents, or who experience unexpected mechanical failure, are required to move their vehicles to the shoulder to avoid obstructing traffic and to reduce traffic congestion.
Brig Gen Hussein Al Harthi, director of the traffic and patrols directorate at Abu Dhabi Police, said leaving vehicles in the middle of the road endangers the lives of others and leads to unnecessary traffic jams. He urged motorists to seek help by calling the central operations room at 999.
“I came to know about this rule, which I think will significantly reduce congestion caused by these minor accidents,” said Justin Thomas, 29, who has worked in human resources in the emirate for more than two years. “I’m often stuck in traffic jams on Mussafah Road and on the Corniche Road because drivers involved in an accident do not want to move their vehicles.”
Article 12 of the federal traffic law states that in the event of an accident that does not result in a physical injury, parties involved should park their vehicles in the nearest location that does not obstruct traffic to avoid fines.
“Drivers who are involved in a minor accident need to move their cars when it is safe to do so,” said Maj Gen Mohammed Saif Al Zafeen, director of Dubai’s traffic police and head of the Federal Traffic Council. “We don’t want to waste their time on the road.
“I understand that Abu Dhabi has Saeed that deals with minor accidents. In Dubai, a non-injury traffic accident occurs every three minutes. When the parties involved call police they are advised to drive to the nearest police station when it’s safe and possible to do so. They don’t have to do this right away, but if they are unnecessarily obstructing traffic imposing a fine may be a second option.”
Saaed is the road service patrol in Abu Dhabi that deals with minor accidents. The service also helps motorists who have mechanical problems with their cars.
Saaed started working in the Mussafah area in 2008 before branching out to the rest of Abu Dhabi and then the Northern Emirates.
Officers prepare reports, including diagrams of crash scenes, to help determine fault, something which can carry a fine of Dh300. If there is a dispute over who is at fault, police will be called. If a disagreement cannot be resolved, it will go to court.
Maj Gen Al Zafeen said 99 per cent of the time, traffic police were able to determine who was at fault.
Glenn Havinoviski, a transport expert in Abu Dhabi, agreed.
“Most police can look at the nature of the vehicle damage, and especially if the front of one vehicle is damaged and the back of the other is damaged, it is generally clear who is at fault.
“Sideswipes are a little different, but again, a good police investigator can investigate the tyre tracks on the road and the damage on the vehicles and understand what happened.”
rruiz@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Listen to Extra Time
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
THE DETAILS
Kaala
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Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results:
Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.
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Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
