Abu Dhabi Police have reminded tailgating drivers who cause crashes that they must pay Dh5,000 to have their impounded cars released. Drivers tailgating, using high beams and sounding their horns create confusion for other road users and can cause serious accidents and deaths, Abu Dhabi Police said. “Not maintaining safe distances between vehicles is a major reason behind accidents on the road,” the force added. Offenders' cars will be impounded and they will have to pay a Dh5,000 fine within three months for the vehicle's release, under Abu Dhabi traffic law. Offenders will also be fined Dh400 and have four traffic points added to their licence. The number of crashes in the UAE rose by 13 per cent to 3,945 in 2022, from 3,488 the previous year, Ministry of Interior figures show. Failing to maintain a safe distance caused 505 of those accidents in 2022. “If the offence resulted in an accident, then the vehicle will be seized until the fees are paid,” Abu Dhabi Police said. If the fines are not paid, the vehicles are eventually sold at auction. In Dubai and other emirates, offenders only have to pay the Dh400 fine and receive four traffic points, as long as no one is injured or killed. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2023/09/08/abu-dhabi-police-release-crash-videos-to-show-dangers-of-distracted-driving/">Abu Dhabi Police</a> also released footage on Friday of cars crashing on the motorway to highlight the dangers of sudden lane changes. Shared by the force on social media, the video shows an incident of speeding and switching lanes suddenly. It was not made clear when the accidents took place. The video was shared as part of the force's “You Can Comment” campaign, which tries to educate road users about dangerous driving. Sudden swerving is among the biggest causes of fatal accidents in the UAE each year, along with distracted driving and failure to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. Road accidents caused about 350 deaths last year, down from 381 the previous year, according to Ministry of Interior figures. The number of people injured in collisions almost doubled to 5,045, from the previous year's 2,620.
