Beginning Saturday, July 1, wearing of seatbelts for all passengers travelling in a car is mandatory. Drivers, even if they are wearing seatbelts, will be fined Dh400 (per passenger) and receive four black points on their licence for failing to ensure that all adults and children are buckled up.
The objective is one person-one seatbelt. Everyone travelling in a car must wear a seatbelt or use a child safety seat. The fine is per passenger, so if there are two passengers in the car not wearing a seatbelt, the driver will have to pay Dh800 fine and will get four black points on his/her licence.
The amendments to the federal traffic law officially signed by Lt-Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, in March also restrict short people and children below 10 years of age from sitting in the front passenger seat, citing that seatbelt can choke the person.
This means that children under 10 or anyone who is less than 145cm in height is not allowed to sitting on the front seat lest the driver will get a Dh400 fine.
An appropriate child car seat is also a must for children under the age of four. Any driver who will flout this regulation will get Dh400 fine and four black points.
Officials said that "drivers are responsible for ensuring that passengers are using the seatbelt or children travelling on board are using appropriate child car seat." The new traffic regulations are also aimed at reducing the number of road fatalities. Official statistics show that 725 people died in traffic accidents in the UAE last year.
Welcome development
Safety experts, motorists, and residents hailed the amended traffic rules.
Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, told Khaleej Times that the amendments come at the right time. "It is not only important in the context of protecting motorists, passengers and our kids, but also in relation to the objectives of the UAE Government in their 'UAE Vision 2021' whereby the number of fatalities should decrease from currently 6.1/100,000 residents to 3/100,000 by 2021."
He added that there should be reverse in the current trend that shows, based on a research project carried out by RoadSafetyUAE in February 2017, that only 78 per cent of drivers (Emiratis only 51 per cent); 71 per cent of front seat passengers and only 11 per cent of back-seat passengers always wear seatbelts.
In the same survey, it was also revealed that 34 per cent don't have proper child restraint systems and of those who do have, 30 per cent don't always use them for their kids.
"These numbers are very concerning. Global research shows that seatbelts save lives of 40-60 per cent and for kids, up to 80 per cent," Edelmann underlined.
Yuri Cipriano, a safety engineer by profession and who drives to work from Dubai to Sharjah, observed that even though many people are aware of the risks involved of not wearing a seatbelt, many of them continue to disregard the safety precaution.
"In my almost daily drive, I see people seated in front not wearing a seatbelt and the car is travelling more than 100kmph," Cipriano said. "People should be aware that in case of a car crash there is a 40 to 60 per cent chance of survival. Some people believe that a seatbelt will delay their escape from a car in case of an accident, but there is no study that can support this. Bottom line is, to be on the safe side, all drivers and passengers must buckle up," he emphasised.
In a previous interview with Khaleej Times, First-Lieutenant Ali H. Al Madfaei of the Abu Dhabi Police, said the new law will help save lives on UAE roads.
Edelmann concluded that the "implementation of the holistic UAE seatbelt law on July 1 is a big step towards more road safety for children, as proper child restraint systems will become mandatory. Kids must also be educated from a very early age about the protective powers of child seats, seatbelts and booster cushions. The concerned stakeholders in the public and private segments, and especially the education sector, are challenged to step up to the challenge to protect our children and to educate them about safe conduct in vehicles."
Countries which implemented mandatory seatbelts for drivers
Argentina 1994
Australia 1970
Canada 1976
Czech Republic 1966
Finland 1975
France 1975
Germany 1976
Hungary 1976
India 2002
Japan 1971
Myanmar 2017
Netherlands 1976
New Zealand 1972
Philippines 2000
Singapore 1973
Spain 1975
Sri Lanka 2011
Sweden 1975
Thailand 1996
UK 1983
USA 1984
Hong Kong 1983

source: Khaleejtimes