Watch: UAE cops warn motorists against using phones while driving

With distracted driving still among the top causes of road accidents, the Abu Dhabi Police on Friday highlighted the dangers of using a smartphone behind the wheel.

In the first half of the year, more than 100,000 drivers in the emirate were penalised for this offence which is punishable by a Dh800 fine and four black points, according to a previous report.

The Abu Dhabi Police, in their latest post on social media, said many motorists who were caught using their phones while driving would end up swerving or beating the red light — thus leading to tragic accidents.

Here's the awareness video it tweeted on Friday:

High-tech radars across the emirate's roads could detect mobile phone violations, and smart patrols with advanced systems also monitor compliance.

At a time when more and more services and multimedia content can be accessed with just a tap or a swipe, many have been glued to their phones. This has become a major distraction for drivers, the police noted.

Maj Mohammed Dahy Al Humiri, director of the traffic and patrols directorate at Abu Dhabi Police earlier said that among the thousands fined for the offence, many were caught talking or texting on phones.

Some were chatting on social media, browsing the internet, taking pictures or shooting videos with their hand-held devices while driving — blatantly violating the traffic law.

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