Abu Dhabi Police launch 'Safe Traffic Summer' campaign

Motorists, who have been caught driving worn-out tyres, will be fined Dh500, four black points will be docked against their licences for each offence and errant drivers’ vehicles will be impounded for a week, the authorities have warned.

In a new field awareness campaign under the slogan 'Safe Traffic Summer', the Abu Dhabi Police are educating drivers of lorries and light vehicles about the negative impacts due to the use of worn-out tyres, including fatal accidents and serious injuries.

Brigadier-General Mohammed Dhahi Al Himiri, the Director of the Traffic and Patrols Directorate in the Central Operations Sector, Abu Dhabi Police, warned that worn-out and expired tyres pose accident threats on the roads as they can burst, especially amid the sizzling heat during summer months.

The police have advised drivers to use good quality tyres that conform to specifications.

The primary causes of accidents during summer include driving with expired and worn-out tyres and many of them are underinflated or overinflated and also overloading of vehicles, according to the traffic authorities.

“Drivers should regularly check their car tyres to ensure they are in a good condition, as air pressure normally increases especially during hot weather conditions,” said Al Himiri.

The summer safety campaign is being implemented in coordination with Abu Dhabi Ports (Khalifa Port) as part of efforts to promote vehicle and tyre safety and encourage motorists to carry out regular maintenance of their vehicles.

The Abu Dhabi Police had reported last year that the number of motorists caught driving with damaged and expired tyres stood at 6,211 in 2019.

Damaged and expired tyres can easily burst on hot road surfaces during peak summer resulting in deadly crashes, according to the officials.