They’re clamping down on bad behaviour…

Buckle up everyone, because in the 24 hours after the UAE’s new traffic laws and fines came into effect on Saturday, Dubai Police recorded 1,279 traffic offenses (yes, in just one day). 

According to Gulf News, 311 of the fines for these offenses were given out by policemen in person (we’ve definitely noticed more patrol cars on the streets over the past few days). 

The most common fine given out in the first day was for blocking traffic flow (you know those people who stop in the middle of the road, causing more traffic than they could ever imagine as they turn a two-lane road into a single path?). Lane discipline came in as the second most common fine, with people swerving between lanes dangerously pinged by police.

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Dubai Police also fined 56 motorists for using their phone when driving (that WhatsApp can wait), and caught four people with excessive window tints on their cars.

The new laws have upped the fines for speeding (you can read the different amounts here), but it seems that the 20km/h window above the speed limit is still in effect (so you won’t be fined for going 115km/h in a 100km/h zone, for instance). 

The new rules and the more aggressive patrolling are all part of a plan to bring the UAE’s road toll down – and we’re on board with anything that makes the UAE’s highways a safer place. Remember, in 2016 725 people were killed in traffic accidents on UAE roads (that’s close to two a day).

The government has committed to get that number way down in the next few years, and the new laws are all part of that.

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Image: Getty