The Ministry of Interior qualifies violators for using a phone while driving

The Ministry of Interior announced its intention to implement an awareness program for drivers violating the use of a mobile phone while driving their vehicles, including qualifying them in specialized courses and informing them of the dangers of using phones while driving.

The Director of the Community Service Department in the General Secretariat of the Office of His Highness the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Lieutenant Colonel Saif Obaid Al Khaili, told Emirates Today that the program supports the “I Pledge” campaign, which the newspaper is implementing in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, as it contains topics about the dangers of using the phone. He presented cases that had been involved in accidents due to using the phone while driving, adding that the program also includes violators who apply to reduce traffic points, to avoid them reaching the cumulative limit of 24 points.

Al Khaili explained that joining the traffic points program allows violating drivers to reduce eight points from their total points, thus avoiding them exceeding the cumulative limit and having their driving licenses withdrawn from their possession.

He pointed out that the program focuses on drivers who exceeded the cumulative limit of traffic points and had their licenses withdrawn, drivers who wish to reduce the number of traffic points they have before it reaches 24 points, and drivers with temporary licenses whose licenses were withdrawn for the first time, because they exceeded the cumulative limit.

He pointed out that the names of the violators will be provided, and they will be contacted by an employee of the Community Service Department, to obtain data that will be included in a form designated for this purpose, to evaluate the behavior of the violating driver by the social worker, to find out the reasons for his committing the violations, and to transfer him to the Emirates Driving Company for evaluation. He developed his leadership skills, through the device designated for that, and then joined a rehabilitation program, pointing out that violating drivers can inquire and register in the rehabilitation traffic points program, by calling the numbers of the Community Service Department, which are: 5027235-02 or 5027122-.02

The Community Service Department at Abu Dhabi Police recently conducted a questionnaire to determine the percentage of mobile phone use while driving by drivers who underwent the traffic points program. The results showed that 63.3% of the drivers who enrolled in the traffic points program answered “sometimes” about using the phone while driving, and 30 5% do not use it, and 5.5% responded that they use it constantly.

Drivers who exceed the cumulative limit of traffic points as a result of various violations are enrolled in qualifying courses organized by the Community Service Department, in cooperation with the Law Respect Culture Office in the General Secretariat of the Office of His Highness the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and the Emirates Driving Company.