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