Abu Dhabi Police fine thousands of motorists over obscured number plates

It is an offence to not display a plate number, whether it is an inadvertent or deliberate act

Abu Dhabi police in 2021 fined thousands of motorists for failing to ensure number plates were visible. Photo: Abu Dhabi Police

Abu Dhabi Police issued thousands of Dh400 fines in 2021 to motorists who failed to ensure their number plates were visible.

The force said it imposed 11,489 financial penalties to drivers of light and heavy vehicles for obscured number plates, whether it was accidentally or deliberately covered.

Police have previously said that lorry drivers sometimes use covers or stretch hoses around the number plate, obscuring part of it, and that others failed to regularly check that the plates could be seen before taking to the road.

Traffic police use technology to help boost road safety.

Cameras installed on motorways across the capital are used to catch offenders flouting the law by speeding, tailgating and driving recklessly.

Police urged motorists to ensure their number plates were displayed clearly to avoid being fined.

They previously urged motorists whose plates were partially covered by bicycles they were transporting, to install an extra number plate on the bicycle holder base.

Drivers caught tampering with a number plate will have their vehicle confiscated and will have to pay Dh50,000 to have it released.