Dubai Police have sent out a public safety warning after a delivery rider sustained serious injuries when he crashed into a taxi while travelling on the wrong side of the road.
The accident occurred in the early hours of Friday morning on Umm Suqeim Road, near Al Barsha South junction.
Brig Jumaa bin Suwaidan, director of the traffic department at Dubai Police, said patrols and the ambulance service were sent to the scene, with the motorcycle rider taken to hospital for treatment.
“The initial report by traffic experts showed the biker drove against traffic flow and hit the taxi,” he said on Friday. “Driving a vehicle or a bike against traffic flow is a direct threat for the lives of road users. Accidents always will result in injuries and deaths."
Road users driving against traffic flow can be fined Dh600 ($163), have four black points imposed on their licence and have their vehicle or motorcycle impounded for seven days.
“There is an extra fine which is Dh500 for blocking the traffic as per the traffic law,” the police official added.
Dubai Police said they would continue to carry out awareness campaigns in an effort to reduce reckless behaviour on the roads.
Traffic accidents in the UAE increased by 8 per cent last year, with 4,748 recorded across the country compared to 4,391 in 2023, figures compiled by the Ministry of Interior show. Authorities recorded 384 deaths in crashes last year, an increase from 352 in 2023 and 343 in 2022.
