UAE police have warned drivers of new and used cars in Dubai to be extra cautious when driving near schools and pedestrian areas. Motorists have been urged not to change lanes, overtake or drive speedily when driving near schools or crosswalks.
The warning has not just been issued to drivers in UAE, but also to bus drivers who have been urged to slow down when driving near school zones. Motorists are prompted to drive slowly, give right of way to students to pass the crosswalks, and not go over the speed limit. Doing otherwise may incur hefty fines and black points.
As part of the Roads and Transport Authority’s campaign to ensure the safety of pupils, “smart” signs have been installed at various points in Dubai to get motorists to slow down when driving past school zones.
The signs are installed with digital screens that display the passing car’s speed as well as a correlating emoji that is either frowning or smiling, depending on the car’s speed limit.
The speed limit for driving in school zone areas is set to 40 km/h. If drivers fail to adhere to it, the screens will flash a warning in both Arabic and English to slow down. A “Thank You” message will be shown if the speed is agreeable.
As per the revised UAE’s Federal Traffic Law, failure to halt after seeing the stop sign of a school bus will result in a fine of 1,000 AED and 10 black points. The law also includes a fine of 500 AED for bus drivers that do not open the stop sign.
Drivers are required to maintain a distance of about five metres to avoid the fine and ensure the safety of students.
Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of the General Directorate of Traffic at Dubai Police told the media that “We are urging people to be careful as a precaution and focus on protecting the children, especially from run-over incidents,” he said calling on drivers to be extra vigilant around schools, hospitals, and residential areas and to always maintain safe distance between vehicles.”
He further stated that police patrol units will be trained to ensure smoother traffic flow in the school zones so that children can enter and exit from the premises safely.
Similarly, there have been numerous sessions conducted by the traffic department to emphasize the importance of abiding by speed limits and improving safety in school areas.
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