Legal requirements for the statute of limitations to expire traffic violations

The Attorney General and Head of Traffic Prosecution in Dubai, Counselor Salah Boufarousha Al Falasi, said that there are legal and procedural requirements for traffic violations to be dropped by the statute of limitations, which include the passage of five years from the date of committing the violation and not interrupting the statute of limitations.

He added, in response to a question from the audience about the variation in the application of some violations from one emirate to another during a virtual symposium organized by the Community Development Authority under the title Legal Responsibility for Road Users, that the traffic law is one and gives every person the right to object to the violation before the Public Prosecution, which ultimately applies the law.

In detail, Counselor Salah Boufarousha Al Falasi explained in response to questions from the public that canceling traffic violations by statute of limitations applies according to specific requirements, including the passage of five years from the date of issuing the violation without interrupting this period with any other action, whether by the traffic departments of the police or the prosecution.

He added that there is an organized process for taking this measure. The prosecution receives lists from the police of violations that have been issued for five years, and then these lists are subject to scrutiny and investigation, with the aim of ensuring that the statute of limitations is not interrupted by any police action or by the prosecution against the violating person.

Al Falasi stressed that the rate of violations and penalties imposed on road users in Dubai is absolutely incomparable to their numbers, which reflects a great deal of commitment from the majority of drivers. He pointed out that the general indicator is excellent, and confirms that there is a high degree of awareness, reinforced by a more than wonderful road network.

He explained that road users in Dubai have reached a stage of mental cohesion on the road that provides a lot of protection, given that everyone has reached one degree of commitment, and violations and penalties remain for a small group that is not committed.

Regarding the variation in issuing some violations from one emirate to another, such as a violation of coloring or shading a car, a violation of fueling or changes in the vehicle’s engine, the head of the Traffic and Traffic Prosecution explained that regardless of the variation in the application of some traffic procedures related to issuing specific violations, the law is federal, and the regulations are the same. There is a decisive criterion for this issue, which is whether the violation is valid or not.

He pointed out that the law guarantees every person to object to the prosecution and the competent authorities, if he is certain that the violation issued to him is incorrect, and then the prosecution considers his objection and determines whether it complies with the law or whether the violation is correct.

Regarding cases of applying the aggravating circumstance against drivers who cause traffic accidents and damage to property, Al-Falasi said that some of those affected by traffic accidents lack sufficient awareness of the procedures for opening a report and following up on a case in the prosecution, as they do not realize that they have the option of claiming civil rights, which provides them with obtaining their full rights from The culprit drivers are exempt from the penal aspect determined by the court according to the factors and circumstances it deems appropriate.