Driver racks up Dh247,000 in traffic fines in Ajman

Police said the woman committed 414 offences in three years

A driver who amassed Dh247,000 in traffic fines in Ajman may lose her car. Ajman Police

A driver ran up more than Dh247,000 ($67,250) in fines in Ajman after committing 414 traffic offences in three years.

Police said the woman accumulated most of the bill with speeding tickets.

She was ordered to pay the fine or lose her car.

Maj Rashid bin Hindi, head of traffic control at Ajman Police, said the motorist had amassed an average of four fines a week in three years.

Officers investigated after discovering a high number of fines attached to a single vehicle.

“We discovered that the car was owned by an Arab woman in her thirties, who accumulated fines that were worth Dh247,490.”

Based on their findings, police impounded the woman's car and will hold it until the full amount is paid.

“We discovered that the fines were due to negligence and not observing the speed limit on the roads.”

If the fines are not paid within six months, the car will be sold at public auction, the officer said.

Maj bin Hindi said speeding is one of the biggest dangers on the roads.

Drivers who exceed speed limits by 80kph or more face fines of Dh3,000, 23 black points on their licence, and their vehicle can be impounded for 60 days.

The officer urged the public to abide by traffic rules to improve the safety of all road users.

Police across the Emirates have sought to take action against drivers who amass huge traffic fines.

Last year, Abu Dhabi Police revealed two drivers had accumulated fines of more than Dh1 million.

The vast sums owed by some motorists led police in the capital to introduce a car impoundment rule as a penalty for drivers whose unpaid fines exceeded Dh7,000.

Law 5 of 2020 punishes specific traffic offences with impoundment and increased the fees payable to reclaim a seized vehicle.