Sharjah Police warn drivers not to take ‘selfies’ while at the wheel

Sharjah Police have warned motorists of the dangers of taking a selfie while driving.

In its latest issue, Al Shirti, a magazine published by police general command, is a report entitled: "That moment to take a picture may cost you your life … selfies, a noteworthy danger."

The report features interviews with experts, looking at the dangers of taking self-portraits while driving, reported Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister newspaper of The National.

Al Shirti spoke to Maj ibn Khattar of Sharjah Police, who said that in the first seven months of this year, patrols registered 8,154 offences by motorists using their phones while driving, compared with 7,251 in the same period last year – an increase of 903.

The report told of unacceptable behaviour that reflect misuse of technology, where motorists are distracted and their attention is no longer focused on the road ahead.

It said they try to maintain control of the vehicle and take the snapshot simultaneously, or focus on uploading a photo or on taking a photo with a selfie-stick, endangering their lives and lives of other road users.

Maj ibn Khattar stressed that the Traffic and Patrols Law specifies a Dh200 penalty and four black points for motorists holding their mobile phones while driving.