UAE jaywalking clampdown with heavy Dh10,000 fines a major safety step, say experts

Harsher punishment for crossing road unlawfully welcomed as move to prevent serious accidents

There were 835 run-over accidents last year because of jaywalkers, according to the Ministry of Interior. Jaime Puebla / The National

A new federal decree law that looks set to strengthen the punishment issued to jaywalkers to either jail or fines of between Dh5,000 to Dh10,000 ($1,360 to $2,720) is necessary and will save lives, experts have told The National.

The legislation, the details of which will not be finalised until March 29, could see pedestrians who illegally cross roads with a speed limit of 80kph or more facing a maximum financial penalty 25 times higher than the previous threshold of Dh400, if they cause an accident. The risk of jail remains even if a jaywalker crosses a road with a speed limit below 80kph.

Legal adviser Mohammed Najeeb told The National the law will encourage pedestrians to cross from designated areas and bridges, for their safety.

“There is a major difference between the old and the new law. The fine in the old law was Dh400 for jaywalkers. The new law makes the punishment harsher,” Mr Najeeb said. “Crossing from non-designated places is a major reason behind run-over accidents. It causes deadly accidents and severe injuries.

“It is a very dangerous attitude as the jaywalker is risking his life and can cause a serious accident as the driver will try to stop or make a sudden swerve on a high-speed road."

How dangerous is jaywalking?

The Ministry of Interior said 835 people were run over last year due to jaywalking, resulting in 55 deaths across the country. Cameras showed some of them jumping over barriers to cross the roads. Abu Dhabi reported 26 deaths, while Dubai Police reported that eight deaths and 339 injuries. Dubai Police also said 43,817 jaywalkers were fined in 2023.

How much will the new law help?

Dr Mustafa Al Dah, an Emirati road safety researcher, told The National that increasing fines for pedestrians crossing the road at non-designated areas is a major step to protect their safety and that of other road users. “There were negative practices from pedestrians of crossing the roads from non-designated areas. Some of them used to cross a 120kph motorway or jump over the road barriers. It’s a kind of suicide as they take drivers by surprise,” Dr Al Dah said.

He said different studies have shown different effects from increasing traffic fines. “For example, increasing the traffic fines in Brazil led to a 21.3 per cent reduction in crashes and a reduction in hospital emergency room admissions from road crashes by 33.2 per cent," he said. "The new law in the UAE will deter such negative attitudes and cut the number of incidents.”

Dr Al Dah said it is important to have awareness campaigns in different languages about the dangers of crossing from non-designated areas, and about the new punishments. “Police departments in the UAE have the latest technology and radar to catch people crossing the roads or ignoring traffic lights,” he added.

Earlier this year, a driver and two jaywalkers were fined after an accident in Bur Dubai in October 2023. Dubai Traffic Court found the Arab driver guilty of failing to adhere to traffic rules and not paying attention while driving. He was fined Dh2,000. The two Asian pedestrians who were injured in the accident were also blamed and were fined Dh400 each for crossing the road from an undesignated area.