Do You Know What Distracted Driving Can Cost You?

The drivers in the UAE should be well aware of the traffic rules while driving, otherwise, they will end up paying a hefty amount of fines and getting black points for the violations.

Imagine you are driving on the roads of Dubai, and you are caught for not having Dubai car insurance. This will lead to a fine and 4 black points on your license. Some other driving violations are exceeding the speed limit, jumping a red light, and distracted driving.

Casualties Caused By Distracted Driving

As per the Gulf News, at the end of 2018, one of the main reasons for road deaths was distracted driving. According to reports around 468 people died in the year of 2018 on the roads of UAE, out of which 13% were killed as a result of distracted driving. According to official statistics, sudden turns because of distracted driving caused a total of 438 accidents in Dubai.

Therefore, in order to decrease this number of road casualties caused by traffic violations the government has imposed hefty fines and introduced black points.

What is Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving is known as the act of driving while being engaged in other activities. These activities can be anything that distracts the driver from the road. It can be texting, talking on a phone call, talking to a passenger, eating, looking after children or reading. Any time the driver is distracted and loses focus from the road, it compromises the safety of the driver itself, other passengers in his car, other vehicles on the road, and pedestrians.

What are the Types of Distractions?

There are four types of distractions that can lead to a mishappening on the road and thereby hold the risk of someone’s accident, they are:

1. Visual Distraction: Anything that makes you take your eyes off the road counts as a visual distraction.
2. Cognitive Distraction: Anything that takes your mind off driving is recognized as a cognitive distraction.
3. Manual Distraction: Any activity that causes you to take your hands off the driving wheel is a manual distraction.
4. Auditory Distraction: Anything that makes you take your ears off the traffic sounds is an auditory distraction.

Any form of distraction while driving not only compromises the safety of the driver and passengers but affects other people as well. The main contributor to the occurrence of road accidents is visual distractions.

Steps Taken by the Government

The government has launched a year-long campaign in order to bring awareness to drivers regarding the fines and penalties. Distracted driving can lead to a fine worth AED 800 and 4 black points on your driving license. This means if you are caught on a phone call or texting while driving, you will have to pay a heavy penalty as well as your license faces the terror of black points.

This campaign aims at reducing the number of death caused by road accidents by 25% by the end of 2019. By 2021, it also aims at reducing traffic deaths to as low as 3 per 100,000 residents.

Mistakes That Can Cause an AED 800 Fine and 4 Black Points

• If you are caught using a selfie-stick while driving
• If you are caught smoking sheesha while you drive your car
• If you are seen styling your hair or applying makeup while driving your car
• If you are caught making any social media videos in the form of stories or posts while you are behind the wheel
• If you are caught while drinking or eating behind the wheel

The Main Forms of Distractions to Avoid

There are some common distractions that get the best of us. It is advisable to look out and avoid these distractions for the safety of you and the people around you as well as to avoid an AED 800 fine and 4 black points. These distractions are:

• Talking on your mobile phone
• Using the internet or texting on your device
• Looking after your children or pets
• Drinking, eating or smoking
• Rubbernecking
• Changing the radio station or adjusting the entertainment system
• Applying makeup
• Trying to reach out for objects within the car
• Using GPS
• Trying to read a map
• Styling your hair

To Conclude

The drivers must look out for the traffic violations because no one likes to bear the terror of a heavy fine and black points. The common violations in Dubai are exceeding the speed limit, not having a Dubai car insurance, distracted driving, driving without your license among the others. These violations should be avoided for maximum safety for you and the people around you as well as for reducing the number of road casualties in Dubai.