Abu Dhabi crackdown on crazy drivers is showing results

Abu Dhabi's top traffic cop says his team’s campaign to get tough on road stunts is making reckless drivers think twice.

The force has already seized the cars of five people since they launched their crackdown earlier this month.

The campaign was aimed at students who pull dangerous stunts on the roads as they celebrate the end of the academic year.

Brigadier Hussain Ahmed Al Harthi, Director of Traffic and Patrols Directorate at the Abu Dhabi Police, said officers had interrogated the students who were caught driving dangerously.

And, he said, they would now be referred public prosecution for violating traffic laws and endangering the lives of others. Al Harthi added: “Penalties against the violators have also been toughened up to make them think twice before performing dangerous stunts on the roads.”

Police officers have been keeping a close watch at schools as part of the campaign. The five people who were arrested had been performing their stunts in front of a school in Al Ain City, police said.

“Students doing stunts on roads put their lives and those of others in danger,” Al Harthi said, describing such drivers as “show-offs”.

He said such reckless driving can result in the driver losing control of their car, which could result in a smash with another vehicle or even the car ploughing into those watching the antics.

However, Al Harthi said the campaign was not just about getting tough, as traffic officers were also holding lectures and workshops.

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