Accident-Free Day 2024: UAE drivers offered deduction of four black traffic points

UAE drivers have been offered the chance to wipe four black points from their licences by a police campaign.

Accident-Free Day has been launched by the Federal Traffic Council for 2024, with motorists urged to sign an online pledge that they will avoid accidents and not break traffic regulations on Monday, August 26.

The initiative, aiming to reduce accidents and improve road safety, coincides with the start of the school year.

Drivers are called on to adhere to traffic laws and will be rewarded with the deduction of four black traffic points within two weeks of August 26, state news agency Wam reported.

To sign up, simply visit the Ministry of Interior website, log in and sign the pledge.

Brig Engineer Hussein Ahmed Al Harthi, chairman of the Federal Traffic Council at the Ministry of Interior, said the campaign is part of a strategy to improve road safety by spreading the culture of responsible driving to achieve the highest levels of traffic safety.

This requires the co-operation of all members of society, including drivers and pedestrians, to achieve an accident-free traffic environment, he said.

Brig Al Harthi said the campaign focuses on educating drivers to take precautions related to vehicle safety, the importance of adhering to the specified speeds on the streets surrounding schools, not to be distracted by anything other than the road by using mobile phones while driving, adhering to lanes and leaving a safe distance.

It also highlights the importance of giving pedestrians priority when crossing the road, giving priority to emergency vehicles and other traffic requirements.

What are black points?

Black points are penalties given to drivers for serious breaches of road regulations. The number of points given depends on the offence.

If a driver receives 24 black points within the space of 12 months, their licence is suspended. The length of the suspension is decided based on the severity of the rule breaches.

There are 143 federal traffic laws listed on the Dubai Police website, with varying penalties including fines, black points, vehicle confiscation and licence suspension. They apply to all Emirates.

If your car is impounded, there are additional fees to release it. These can be up to Dh100,000 ($27,200), depending on the offence.

For more information, you can read The National’s guide to black points.

$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal

Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.

School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.

“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.

“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”

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Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi

“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”

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