The Abu Dhabi Traffic and Patrols Directorate issued a report which tells that 54% road injuries in Abu Dhabi occurred because drivers and passengers failed to buckle up. The department noted 39,956 seatbelt related violations in the last nine months.

Brigadier Ahmed Al Shehhi, deputy director of the Traffic and Patrols Directorate, talking about the significance of seatbelts said, “Seatbelts are vital in protecting drivers and passengers from serious injury and death in cases of accidents.”

The new federal traffic law demands every driver and the passengers (including children) to wear seatbelts. Those who fail to comply have to pay Dh400 fine and get four black points on their license.

Abu Dhabi police says this fine is to make the commutes safer for every motorist on the road.

Research shows employing a seatbelt decreases the death risk by 40 to 50 per cent for the front seat passengers, and between 25 to 75 percent of the rear seat commuters.