1960s

Dubai police introduces the first road radar.

December 14, 1985

Contract signed for night radars. New machines triggered by ultra-violent rays and can photograph speeding vehicle in darkness without flash.

April 1986

Immobile radars attached to lamp posts. The radars register plate number of offending cars.

March 16, 1988

Radar traps stepped up on the Dubai-Sharjah road and Dubai-Abu Dhabi Road, adding to radars already in operation on Dubai-Al Ain and Dubai-Hatta roads.

October 19, 1991

Concealed radars introduced on a experimental basis on Jumeirah Road. The new radar can take 450 photographs in 24 hours.

November, 1992

Mobile radars and video cameras mounted on patrol cars come into use.

December 25, 1994

Dubai police will not stop speeding motorists caught by the radar nor will they confiscate their licences. Motorist will have to pay the fine at the time of renewing vehicle registration.

August 04, 2002

Solar energy powered radar cameras introduced.

April 20, 2006

Eight hidden radars main roads to catch motorists driving on the hard shoulder.

February 24, 2007

New high-efficiency, portable mobile radars which have a cabinet introduced.

September 15, 2007

Use of speed guns to check motorists violating minimum speed limit, especially on highways introduced.

January 18, 2009

500 new smart radars in various roads across the emirate. The new radars can monitor when a vehicle is jumping a traffic signal or being driven on the hard shoulder. They do not flash when catching offenders. The system is also able to detect vehicles as far as 150 metres away and covers several lanes of traffic.

June 24, 2009

New hand-held radar guns introduced. The device can capture more than 4,000 images of speeding vehicles. It is the latest addition to the wide array of radars used by the Dubai Police Traffic Department to reduce accidents.

May 02, 2015

511 radars across Dubai. Dubai Police begin replacing old radars with the new Vitronic (Al Burj) radars, which have the ability to record eight violations. The new radar can record vehicles speeding, vehicles going below the speed limit, vehicles not leaving enough distance between other vehicles, drivers not wearing the seat belt, drivers using their mobile phone, heavy vehicles not abiding by their designated lanes, heavy vehicles that are on the road outside their designated timings and vehicles driving on the hard shoulder.

July 01, 2015

Distance-tracking roadside radars to photograph tailgating.

October 31, 2016

Upgrade of Al Burj radars to detect motorists who speed between radars.

Compiled by Gulf News Archives