Dubai Police has initiated an awareness campaign to educate the public about the recent amendments to Decree No. (29) of 2015 concerning vehicle impoundment in the emirate of Dubai. The announcement was made during a press conference held at Dubai Police Headquarters, attended by high-ranking officials and journalists.
The campaign, directed by Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, aims to raise legal awareness among motorists about the new amendments, which prioritize safety, protect lives and property, and ensure traffic safety in Dubai. These amendments align with the strategic objective of reducing the traffic death rate per 100,000 population.
Major General Abdullah Ali Al Ghaithi, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operations Affairs at Dubai Police, highlighted that the legal amendments focus on preserving lives, particularly in light of alarming statistics on road accidents. He clarified that the introduced penalties are specifically related to the release of impounded vehicles and not the value of the underlying traffic violation itself.
Over the past four years (2019-2022), Dubai Police recorded 164 fatalities due to speeding, reckless driving, serious traffic violations, and red light violations.
The amended decree-law introduces stringent penalties for releasing impounded vehicles and additional penalties for impounding vehicles involved in new violations. These violations include participating in races, performing stunts, causing chaos, intentionally jumping red lights, and driving with fake or no license plates.
Each case is reviewed by a specialized committee within the General Department of Traffic to determine the applicability of the fines.
Brigadier Juma bin Suwaidan, Acting Director of the General Department of Traffic, provided details on the amended law, which covers 13 types of violations, including seven new points. Among the violations are jumping red lights, driving with fake or obscured number plates, deliberately colliding with police cars, allowing individuals under 18 to drive vehicles, and gathering to watch or participate in illegal races. The fine for releasing an impounded vehicle for these violations is AED 50,000.
Other violations include driving without license plates, gathering to watch or participate in disorderly crowding around races or vehicle stunts, and exceeding the permissible tinting limit for vehicle windows. The fine for releasing an impounded vehicle for these violations is AED 10,000.
Brigadier Bin Suwaidan also highlighted six additional grounds for impounding vehicles, including participating in road races without prior permission, riding recreational motorcycles on paved roads, and reckless driving that endangers lives, property, and public safety. The fines for these violations range from AED 10,000 to AED 100,000.
The awareness campaign will run for seven weeks, comprising an awareness and education phase, followed by an evaluation of the impact. It will utilize various media outlets, strategic partners, billboards, screens at Dubai Police Headquarters, emails, and the Dubai Now app to raise awareness among motorists.
The campaign is being implemented in collaboration with Dubai Municipality, the Public Prosecution, the Supreme Legislation Committee, the Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs, the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology, Emirates Auctions, Al Nabooda, BMW – Dubai, and the Insurance Authority in Dubai.
Dubai Police impounded 34 vehicles for reckless driving endangering lives, while 1,929 vehicles were impounded for speeding, and 558 vehicles for running red lights from 2019 to 2022, as disclosed by Brigadier Bin Suwaidan.
