UAE Law on Hit and Run Cases

The rapid increase in traffic collision and hit-run cases in Dubai or in other Emirates has pushed the Criminal Lawyers of Dubai to discuss the legal consequences of such criminal actions in the country. The government of UAE has issued Federal Law number 21 of 1995 regarding traffic controls in UAE and highlights the fines to be imposed on the individuals who commit traffic crimes. It is evident that the UAE has zero-tolerance policies for any hit and run cases and imposes an obligation on all the drivers in an accident to call the police on the site of the accident immediately.

Pursuant to Article 5 of the Traffic Law, the driver upon facing a road accident shall call the police and hand over the relevant documents of the motor vehicle causing an accident and the documents of the other vehicle or human or information in relation to the property damaged. Importantly, the driver shall inform the police within 6 hours of the accident in case the police were not nearby the accident. The importance of calling the police is to ensure the rights of the victims, and even the slightest mishap in the country is required to be reported, which thereby allows the victim to file a civil case if needed. Lawyers of Dubai recommend the following steps to be undertaken by the drivers in any road accident:

• Primarily, the drivers of both the vehicle that who has caused the accident or who has been hit by the other shall immediately step aside and park the vehicle at a safe place on the side of the road to prevent further traffic on the road. In another scenario, if you as a pedestrian have been hit by a motor vehicle and the driver is trying to escape from the accident site, you shall immediately note the number plate of the vehicle.
• Secondly, you shall call police on 999 for an immediate action to be taken and if you require the ambulance at the site of the accident. Importantly, you are allowed to take pictures and videos of the damaged vehicle but not of the individual as it is against cybercrime law to click images and videos of an individual without his or her consent.
• Importantly, it is always advisable never to run off from the accident site, and the minimum penalty imposed on any driver who intentionally flees from the location of the accident is AED 500 and 5 black points on the driver’s license.
• Thirdly, the police post reaching on the accident site will prepare an accident report and thereafter that accident report can be presented to the insurance company to claim the damage sustained on the car or it can be used to register any blood money case against the accused.

Professional lawyers of Dubai confirm that the Traffic Law imposes a fine of AED 25,000 and imprisonment against the driver who fails to stop at the accident site post causing damage to the other individuals or other vehicles. Alternatively, if you find yourself in such a situation you may contact Criminal Lawyers of Dubai to ascertain the legal consequences of such accident depending upon the type of damage caused.

Awatif Mohammad Shoqi Advocates & Legal Consultancy is a full-service law firm in UAE committed to delivering sound judgment to its clients on their most difficult and important matters.