Dubai motorists face fines for applying makeup while driving, allowing small children in front seat

New traffic rules in Dubai will come into effect soon includiung fines for applying make-up while driving, and ones that prohibit young children from sitting in the front seat of the vehicle.

Major General Engineer Mohammed Saif Al-Zafin, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police Operations and Chairman, Federal Traffic Council, told Emirates Al-Youm the new fines would come into force in early July.

Zafin added, under the new rules “the penalty for allowing a child under the age of 10 or less or a person of less than 145 cm to sit in the front seat of the vehicle is a fine of 400 AED ($109)” and that “this article also applies to all adults who are less than the stated length.”

“Preventing the seating of a person with a height less than 145 cm in the front seat is the norm in many of the worldwide traffic systems,” he added.

He said a fine of “800 AED ($218) and four points on the driver's licence will be the punishment imposed on anyone driving and smoking a hookah in the vehicle, mobile phone use, women applying makeup while driving, and any driver who engages in behavior that would distract his attention from the road.”

Zafin said according to the amendments to the table of traffic laws and points, all passengers in the front or rear seats of the vehicles were required to use a seat belt, adding “the driver is the one who will bear the violation of the passenger with him and not the passenger.”

Zafin called on drivers to “abide by the traffic rules and regulations, in the interest of their safety, as well as to curb reckless driving behavior that would threaten the lives of road users in general.”