Dubai Police issued a traffic violation warning on Friday, cautioning motorists against driving on the hard shoulder. Sharing a video of cars trying to bypass traffic driving on the road shoulder, the police said that 4,504 such violations have been recorded since the start of the year.
The hard shoulder is reserved for emergencies — not for bypassing traffic. Keeping it clear allows emergency vehicles to respond quickly when every second counts, they said, urging residents to follow the rules and not put lives at risk.
This offence is among the most dangerous traffic behaviours that threaten road users and obstruct emergency vehicles carrying out their humanitarian duties, according to Dubai Police.
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Brigadier Juma Salem bin Suwaidan, Director of the General Department of Traffic at Dubai Police, stated that overtaking on the hard shoulder is reckless behaviour that can lead to serious accidents, especially during congestion or on highways. He explained that such actions not only reflect a driver’s disregard for the law but also show carelessness towards the lives of others.
Suwaidan stated that February recorded the highest number of violations with 1,638, followed by January with 1,379, then March with 676, May with 482, and April with 329 violations.
He added that the Federal Traffic Law penalises the offence of overtaking on the hard shoulder with a fine of Dh1,000, in addition to six traffic points on the driving licence.
Suwaidan noted that there is strong cooperation from community members in reporting such behaviours through the Dubai Police app or via the “We Are All Police” service on 901. This contributes to enhancing compliance with the law and reducing wrongful practices on the roads.
Source: Khaleej Times