Sharp drop in hard shoulder violations in Sharjah

Sharjah - Misusing the hard shoulder would attract a fine of Dh1,000 and six black points.

Hard shoulder violations have dropped in Sharjah, thanks to the new amended federal traffic law which became effective on July 1.

The number of violations caused by overtaking on hard shoulder recorded by Anjad patrols and radars was 871 for three months from July as compared to 2,149 during the same period last year.

Major Mohammed Alai Al Naqbi, director of traffic and patrols department at Sharjah Police, pointed out that the hard shoulder of the road has been designed for use in emergencies, especially for ambulances transporting patients and injured persons, or in case of vehicle breakdown. "Driving or overtaking on it hinder the movement of emergency and police vehicles," he added.

Major Al Naqbi stressed that this kind of violation could cause serious and fatal accidents on the roads and the highways with high-speed limit. The speeding vehicle could collide with the one parked on the hard shoulder. "It could result in considerable loss of life and property and traffic snarls which can sometimes take hours to clear," he pointed out.

According to the new traffic law, hard shoulder violator would be slapped a fine of Dh1,000 and six black points.

The Sharjah Police have deployed patrols across the emirate, increased surveillance cameras as well as radars, and organized a number of awareness campaigns on the dangers posed by overtaking on the hard shoulder. "Motorists have also been told to give priority to ambulance and rescue services on the road," he said.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah