Dubai: Police have warned partygoers and motorists against driving under the influence of alcohol during the New Year eve celebrations.
Lieutenant Colonel Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Deputy Director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department, said police will keep a vigilant check on those who drink and drive.
He said anyone suspected to be driving under the influence of alcohol will be referred to the forensics to check the alcohol amount in their blood, especially if the person was involved in a traffic accident.
Lt Col Al Mazroui said driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous, not just for motorist, but also for other road users, as he or she are not fully conscious and lack concentration.
"Anyone caught driving under the influence of alcohol will be punished, regardless of their nationalities," he said.
Tough punishment
Abdul Moniem Bin Suwaidan, from Abdul Moniem Bin Suwaidan Advocates and Legal Consultants, said that after amendments to the traffic law, the punishment for motorists who drink and drive became tougher. He said previously, offenders used to get away with fines.
"The law is strict regarding drink driving, especially if the offender gets involved in an accident. Drink driving is considered a misdemeanour," he said.
Bin Suwaidan said driving under the influence of alcohol is illegal in many parts of the world because accidents caused by that are usually fatal and involve more than one death.
He said according to the traffic law, the maximum punishment for drink driving and causing an accident is three years in jail and a fine of not more than Dh100,000. The minimum punishment is one month and fine of not less than Dh30,000.
"The punishment, however, depends on the judge because the circumstances behind each accident are different. Therefore, the judge decides the suitable punishment based on the circumstances of the accident," Bin Suwaidan said.
He said the law does not allow any amount of alcohol or drugs in the blood while driving. "No amount of alcohol or drugs in the blood are allowed while driving because every human being is different and allowing a certain level will not be right because some can tolerate little amounts, but others cannot even tolerate some of that," Bin Suwaidan said.
Do you think campaigns are effective in reducing incidents of drink driving? How can people be stopped from driving under the influence of alcohol? What services could be introduced to reduce accidents caused due to drink driving?
Your comments
Why don't they stop serving alcohol on New Year's eve? This way they won't waste time thinking of how they are going home drunk.
Renhard
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 14:25
I highly appreciate the steps taken by Dubai Police, as New Year's eve is one of the worst nights for accidents. People go out to enjoy their time but these reckless drivers keep their lives, as well as others', at risk. People under the influence of alcohol should be given tough time, which will be a lesson for others.
Mohammad Asif
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 12:35
Good move by Dubai Police! Everyone should respect traffic laws. It is really dangerous to drive under the influence of alcohol. People should take care, especially on celebration days.
Gilbert George
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 12:17
Don't you think alcohol should be banned in totality?
Zahid
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 12:12
I think they should allow drinking and driving to be permissible limit, which is globally accepted and approved. Anything above the limit should be considered as a violation and punishment decided by the court of law.
Sumeet Kakroo
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 10:41
One solution would be to have taxi fares reduced so that more people would be encouraged to use them if they decide to go to a party.
Rita
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 09:22
I feel it is a very good decision taken by Dubai Police in order to limit accidents during these holidays. I personally feel this message can also be displayed on the Traffic Intelligent system during these days.
Brijesh
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 09:18
It is a very good step by Dubai Police. To stop drink driving, the only solution is tough punishment. I think hotels and places that serve alcohol should let people know about the laws and punishments for drink driving. Bottles should have warning signs.
Sam
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 09:14
They should put more taxis in service in the evening so that people do not have to drive on the roads. There should be a big increase in taxis so we can all have a happy new year.
Kay
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 09:00
Excellent initiative. With taxis available in plenty, there is no reason why people should drink and drive and put others', and their lives, in danger.
Gautam Kapoor
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 08:53
This is a good decision by Dubai Police and it helps the lives of passengers, as well as other drivers. I think accidents occured more in 2008 compared to previous years. Routine checks from the authorities is the only immediate remedy to cut down those accidents. Reckless drivers should be fined and punished.
Thomas Varghese
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 08:41
Drinking and driving is harmful for both drivers, as well as road users. Hence, if someone is intoxicated, he could use public transportion. There are special services where drivers pick up and drop off people to avoid accidents.
S. Vijayakumar
Muscat,Oman
Posted: December 29, 2008, 08:38
I appreciate Dubai Police for its strict law on drink driving. This way people under the influence of alcohol will be discouraged to drive. People should really be very careful and stop drinking in 2009.
Shehab Othman
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 08:32
I would strongly suggest that the bars would have special taxi services for all its drinking customers and would also have drivers available to drive the people's own cars to their houses. This would help in a big way.
Mohammad Yaqoob
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 08:09
Drinking and driving is bad for everyone. After such punishments, people would think twice before driving under the influence of alcohol and reduce the number of accidents. I think people should be more informed through media. Since the UAE includes a mix of nationalities and a lot of new people are coming to the country, a book should be given to those people to tell them what is allowed and what is not.
Nasser Al Zaai
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 07:53
I think the campaign launched by Dubai Police would reduce traffic accidents and people would be aware of the consequences caused due to driving under the influence of alcohol.
Ahmad Tarapati
Dubai,UAE
Posted: December 29, 2008, 02:52
