10 Mar 2008
Motoring controversy in the Emirates
If you haven’t heard yet, there is now a federal law in the United Arab Emirates to actually enforce the black points system, whereby drivers get black points for various offences. Once a guy collects 24 black points, the licence will be suspended for three months. If he collects 24 points for the second time, the license will be suspended for six months. If it happens for the third time, the licence will be taken away for one year and will not be returned after that until the guy passes a training course from an officially-recognised driving institute. For a list of offences, check out this article.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi became the first city in this country to offer a self-service option at their ADNOC petrol stations, whereby a driver has to fill up his own fuel. It is optional right now, and it is stirring up mixed feelings. To read about the general public whining or cheering, check out this article.
Numerous people got run over by young speeders last month. The most horrible story was from Ras Al Khaimah. Two school-girls, one 5 and the other 14 years old, were crossing the road after being dropped off by the school bus, and got run over in front of one of their mothers. The kids died in hospital. Check out the story here.
So what did we learn today?
First, stop breaking even the dumbest laws unless you’re absolutely sure there are no cop cars around. Second, be careful getting petrol in Abu Dhabi, because some loser will eventually blow himself up smoking while filling up himself. And third, don’t act like a total dumbass by speedily overtaking a waiting school bus on the side of the road, unless you can see where the kids around it are.
by Musa, on March 10 2008 @ 2:45 pm
The black point system is a weird one but what surprised me was that driving without a plate is twice as bad as killing someone , 24 points against 12 !
by Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury, on March 10 2008 @ 2:55 pm
I’ve driven without plates many times, when I bought each of my cars, between cities. Glad I never got caught.
But as bad as killing someone sounds, I am always afraid that I’ll end up doing that too some day, with all the suicidal labourers running around highways for blood money.
So automatically losing your license due to an accident wouldn’t be fair to the driver, if he was following all the rules.
by shd, on March 10 2008 @ 3:09 pm
These are good rules but will they apply these rules to the boys who are driving ferrai & lambos. of their fathers??????
by Roshan Gomez, on March 10 2008 @ 3:19 pm
Hi Mashfique
Jumping across the ighway is certainly suicidal but trust me its not for the blood money. I understand that you added that as a cliche, but it sounds sarcastic. Adversities do happen on the road and you might get killed, but if you are a good driver you can avoid killing someone else.
I enjoy speeding myself and believe in testing my skills carefully. I mostly think like every other auto enthusiast, that I am capable of doing that and the other person who speeds is a stupid. Like Jeremy Clarkson said, its not how fast you go, its how fast you stop that counts
As for the new fine system, a loud car gets you 500 aed and driving against the traffic gets you 400 aed
.
by Anthony, on March 10 2008 @ 6:44 pm
did any of you guys had a ticket or hured about a fine of 200 AED because the car is not clean from the outside !!!
by vivek, on March 10 2008 @ 10:28 pm
dont temme tat u got one for an unclean car Anthony
by cb, on March 10 2008 @ 11:34 pm
mash once got a ticket coz his car wasn’t clean from the outside. The police found a huge pile of dirt on it.
(mash was sitting on the car)
by thatsit(mohamad), on March 11 2008 @ 7:53 am
looooool CB
what was the reaction of mash when they fined him???
by cb, on March 11 2008 @ 11:27 am
why he took a shower ofcourse
by Anthony, on March 11 2008 @ 3:21 pm
its not me who got it coz i don’t have a car yet nor a driving license
its a collegue of mine who got it while he was in the parking and the car is not that dirty !! i found it some how stupid 
but certainly that was not it, another one for using the mobile without earpiece, one for not putting the seat belt and last but not least, he didn’t have his papers on him 
the poor guy
by Saad Bashar, on March 11 2008 @ 8:58 pm
Hahahaha cb you are so funny, I laughed my ass off.
by kevin, on March 13 2008 @ 7:28 pm
by asad, on March 15 2008 @ 12:08 am
hi
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
can you post review of new lexus lx570