Urgent UAE: Official decree "seize vehicles" from Dubai Police
According to Dubai Police, Decree No. 30 of 2023 revising Decree No. 29 of 2015's regulations regarding impounding automobiles in the Emirate of Dubai seeks to protect lives and property as well as confront irresponsible drivers who put both their own and others' lives in danger.
In this context, it was clarified that the decree only applies to drivers of cars that blatantly and purposefully break the law by breaking the same laws repeatedly.
34 vehicles were seized as a result of a speeding violation, 1929 vehicles due to dangerous driving, and 855 vehicles due to crossing a red light between 2019 and 2022, according to statistics provided by the General Traffic Department of the Dubai Police. These violations led to 164 fatalities and 3263 injuries.
protecting property and life in Dubai.
Major General Abdullah Ali Al-Ghaithi, the Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operations Affairs at the Dubai Police, explained that this decree aims to deter careless drivers who endanger their lives and the lives of others through competitions, races, improper overtaking, and property damage, especially after observing numerous violations on the roads that result in fatalities.
The decree is focused on the process of seizing vehicles in some traffic cases that fall under the category of dangerous violations, and it does not conflict with the Traffic Law, he added during a press conference yesterday to launch a campaign for the new amendments to the Vehicle Seizure Law. He indicated that there is a committee to study dangerous violations before Deciding on some provisions of the decree according to what is appropriate for each case and proving in court that the decree d
The value of unblocking vehicles
Al-Ghaithi went on to say that because it poses a threat to people's lives, engaging in races on the road without a prior permit from the police is punishable by a fine of up to 100,000 dirhams. The decree also included a provision for drivers who gather to watch the races or take part in the ensuing mayhem. This calls for the release of an impounded car with 10,000 value.
Especially since some exaggerate the tinting process, including the windscreen, which causes accidents that result in deaths due to lack of clarity of vision, he explained that the decree required the persons in charge of increasing the percentage of tinting the vehicle's windows beyond the permitted limit by paying 10,000 dirhams to release the seizure. He added that some people have exceptions to this clause for health reasons.
The number of fatalities increased as a result of excessive speeding and reckless driving, Al-Ghaithi continued, "But today we are talking about the driver's life first and the lives of other people as well, and the decree specified a fine of 50,000 dirhams for releasing the vehicle that caused this violation."
He emphasized that allowing a driver under the age of 18 to operate a vehicle is one of the serious offenses for which the fine for removing the impounded vehicle has increased to 50,000 dirhams. He made the point that the guardian is responsible for his son and is accountable for any violations his son commits if he does so.
While the decree has been in effect since 2015, Brigadier General Juma Salem bin Suwaidan, Deputy Director of the General Department of Traffic in the Dubai Police, stated that dealing with some drivers' negative behavior led us to resort to this decree. These drivers were of various nationalities and ages. The decree of seizure was used instead of only the monetary penalties since the statutes as they stand now do not serve the intended goal.
To preserve Dubai's reputation as a forward-thinking city, he continued, the project underwent lengthy discussions before its release, and all the negative phenomena that we had been experiencing in the previous period were clarified from abuses and high death rates to violations, indicating that the custom was that violations are specified and stipulated, but that if we noticed a rise in the ceiling of the violation and its recurrence more than once. The car being impounded increases the fine by this regulation.
"The implementation of the decree does not involve all road users, but there is a committee authorized to consider applications under the decree, particularly since there are drivers who have broken the law through a high number of infractions, their repetition, and their disregard for the law, and this category is the one to which the decree applies," he continued.
For the committee to believe that no one will apply the decree's provisions unfairly, Bin Suwaidan emphasized the integrity of the decree's execution.
Bin Suwaidan clarified that the punishment for heavy vehicles running a red light is one of the most severe of all because it may result in victims. He also noted that the decree applies to people who repeatedly or purposefully commit the same violations.
According to him, to protect drivers' rights, offenses are reviewed by a different committee. If the committee accepts the committee's decision, the person is subject to the penalty and must pay the expenses for releasing the seizure.
He emphasized that any vehicle with violations totaling more than 6,000 dirhams is circulated and seized, explaining that if someone fails to pay to release the seizure without considering the car's price, they will not receive their car and that if the seizure is not released, the car will be sold at auction.
Decree No. 30 of 2023 amending some provisions of Decree No. 29 of 2015 regarding the seizure of vehicles in the Emirate of Dubai set the value of releasing the seizure according to 13 traffic violations, which is 100 thousand dirhams for participating in road races without a permit and 50 thousand dirhams for riding a motorbike on paved roads.
The order also provides for the discharge of 50,000 dirhams in fines levied for driving recklessly or in a way that endangers life. 10,000 dirhams for driving without a license plate, 50,000 dirhams for running a red light, 10,000 dirhams for fleeing from the police, and 10,000 dirhams for congregating to witness the races. Additionally, 10,000 for exceeding the permitted limit on window tinting, 50,000 for operating a car with a fake license plate, 50,000 for purposefully colliding with a police vehicle, and 50,000 for permitting a person under the age of 18 to operate the vehicle
