Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
May 15th 2011, 2:46 pm
#1
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Posts: 112
Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
Just a quick warning - there are loads more cameras on traffic lights in Dubai now and they are enforcing the penalties if you shoot through them. A colleague's friend got a call this morning from the police station asking her to go down to just sort out a fine.
When she got there, they said they would send her to jail for a month, fine her a minimum of 5,000 dirhams and impound her car for 8 months. They would not just let her leave the police station and she got the impression she would basically be put straight in jail.
That was the last I heard, which was this morning, as she called my colleague to get some help and I don't know what has happened since then.
She went through a legitimate U turn but through the light when it was red, she was behind a large lorry so she could not see the overhead light til it was too late but they did not accept this as they said the lights have the little ones at eye level so she has no excuse.
I have no idea if this will get enforced as she has been told but just watch out for those lights and I think it would be wise to just avoind illegal U turns, going through red lights, speeding, etc. It certainly can't hurt!
When she got there, they said they would send her to jail for a month, fine her a minimum of 5,000 dirhams and impound her car for 8 months. They would not just let her leave the police station and she got the impression she would basically be put straight in jail.
That was the last I heard, which was this morning, as she called my colleague to get some help and I don't know what has happened since then.
She went through a legitimate U turn but through the light when it was red, she was behind a large lorry so she could not see the overhead light til it was too late but they did not accept this as they said the lights have the little ones at eye level so she has no excuse.
I have no idea if this will get enforced as she has been told but just watch out for those lights and I think it would be wise to just avoind illegal U turns, going through red lights, speeding, etc. It certainly can't hurt!
May 15th 2011, 3:00 pm
#2
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,096
Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
one of the plus points of driving in Saudi compared to UAE...you are positively encouraged to go through red lights (for right hand turns)
May 16th 2011, 5:30 am
#3
Token Scandinavian Bloke
Joined: Jun 2009
Location: Dubai
Posts: 2,820
Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
Just a quick warning - there are loads more cameras on traffic lights in Dubai now and they are enforcing the penalties if you shoot through them. A colleague's friend got a call this morning from the police station asking her to go down to just sort out a fine.
When she got there, they said they would send her to jail for a month, fine her a minimum of 5,000 dirhams and impound her car for 8 months. They would not just let her leave the police station and she got the impression she would basically be put straight in jail.
That was the last I heard, which was this morning, as she called my colleague to get some help and I don't know what has happened since then.
She went through a legitimate U turn but through the light when it was red, she was behind a large lorry so she could not see the overhead light til it was too late but they did not accept this as they said the lights have the little ones at eye level so she has no excuse.
I have no idea if this will get enforced as she has been told but just watch out for those lights and I think it would be wise to just avoind illegal U turns, going through red lights, speeding, etc. It certainly can't hurt!
When she got there, they said they would send her to jail for a month, fine her a minimum of 5,000 dirhams and impound her car for 8 months. They would not just let her leave the police station and she got the impression she would basically be put straight in jail.
That was the last I heard, which was this morning, as she called my colleague to get some help and I don't know what has happened since then.
She went through a legitimate U turn but through the light when it was red, she was behind a large lorry so she could not see the overhead light til it was too late but they did not accept this as they said the lights have the little ones at eye level so she has no excuse.
I have no idea if this will get enforced as she has been told but just watch out for those lights and I think it would be wise to just avoind illegal U turns, going through red lights, speeding, etc. It certainly can't hurt!
the right turns on red in saudi is a funny one as i'm sure it is isn't strictly legal even though everyone does it. anyone with experience of how saher impacts on it or is that not implemented for red lights yet?
May 16th 2011, 6:24 am
#4
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Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
love the guy who fires up the right turn lane and then positions his car on the diagonal in front of the cars waiting to go straight and then invarably turns left or u-turns
May 16th 2011, 2:07 pm
#5
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Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
Does seem a bit harsh....
May 16th 2011, 6:07 pm
#6
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Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
Unless there is a sign to say otherwise "Right on Red" is legal in Saudi, as it is in many other countries including most of the USA . But in Saudi it is the only traffic rule that is obeyed.
May 17th 2011, 9:02 am
#8
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Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
Brilliant spoiler BurpusMe!
May 17th 2011, 12:30 pm
#9
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Joined: Sep 2009
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Posts: 1,805
Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
In most of Brasil, you only need to slow down for red lights at night and can go straight through, left or right if safe to do it (due to the amount of car-jackings!).
May 17th 2011, 8:58 pm
#10
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2011
Location: Riyadh
Posts: 84
Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
[QUOTE=norsk;9366634]surely the punishment you mention does not fit the crime...not that i think this is usually the case in the gulf..
the right turns on red in saudi is a funny one as i'm sure it is isn't strictly legal even though everyone does it. anyone with experience of how saher impacts on it or is that not implemented for red lights yet?[/QUOTE
Right turn on red is legal in Saudi but you have to stop first and then turn right...as part of Saher they've started putting up signs saying you have to do that - I have never seen anybody actually do that though!!
Saher is putting in red light cameras - there's already a couple on Olaya and Takhasussi..they've made a huge difference to people's driving. If you make a right turn on red you won't get an offence...if you shoot down the right hand lane and then cut across diagonally you will get an offence.
the right turns on red in saudi is a funny one as i'm sure it is isn't strictly legal even though everyone does it. anyone with experience of how saher impacts on it or is that not implemented for red lights yet?[/QUOTE
Right turn on red is legal in Saudi but you have to stop first and then turn right...as part of Saher they've started putting up signs saying you have to do that - I have never seen anybody actually do that though!!
Saher is putting in red light cameras - there's already a couple on Olaya and Takhasussi..they've made a huge difference to people's driving. If you make a right turn on red you won't get an offence...if you shoot down the right hand lane and then cut across diagonally you will get an offence.
May 18th 2011, 5:23 am
#11
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine
Posts: 13,112
Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
Just a quick warning - there are loads more cameras on traffic lights in Dubai now and they are enforcing the penalties if you shoot through them. A colleague's friend got a call this morning from the police station asking her to go down to just sort out a fine.
When she got there, they said they would send her to jail for a month, fine her a minimum of 5,000 dirhams and impound her car for 8 months. They would not just let her leave the police station and she got the impression she would basically be put straight in jail.
That was the last I heard, which was this morning, as she called my colleague to get some help and I don't know what has happened since then.
She went through a legitimate U turn but through the light when it was red, she was behind a large lorry so she could not see the overhead light til it was too late but they did not accept this as they said the lights have the little ones at eye level so she has no excuse.
I have no idea if this will get enforced as she has been told but just watch out for those lights and I think it would be wise to just avoind illegal U turns, going through red lights, speeding, etc. It certainly can't hurt!
When she got there, they said they would send her to jail for a month, fine her a minimum of 5,000 dirhams and impound her car for 8 months. They would not just let her leave the police station and she got the impression she would basically be put straight in jail.
That was the last I heard, which was this morning, as she called my colleague to get some help and I don't know what has happened since then.
She went through a legitimate U turn but through the light when it was red, she was behind a large lorry so she could not see the overhead light til it was too late but they did not accept this as they said the lights have the little ones at eye level so she has no excuse.
I have no idea if this will get enforced as she has been told but just watch out for those lights and I think it would be wise to just avoind illegal U turns, going through red lights, speeding, etc. It certainly can't hurt!
May 18th 2011, 6:42 am
#12
Token Scandinavian Bloke
Joined: Jun 2009
Location: Dubai
Posts: 2,820
Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
Right turn on red is legal in Saudi but you have to stop first and then turn right...as part of Saher they've started putting up signs saying you have to do that - I have never seen anybody actually do that though!!
Saher is putting in red light cameras - there's already a couple on Olaya and Takhasussi..they've made a huge difference to people's driving. If you make a right turn on red you won't get an offence...if you shoot down the right hand lane and then cut across diagonally you will get an offence.
Saher is putting in red light cameras - there's already a couple on Olaya and Takhasussi..they've made a huge difference to people's driving. If you make a right turn on red you won't get an offence...if you shoot down the right hand lane and then cut across diagonally you will get an offence.
i asked some of the arabs in the office when i first arrived in saudi and they initially implied that stopping on all red lights was optional (what did i expect?), but then one of them actually checked a government website and told me that turning right on red wasn't actually explicitly mentioned.
using normal legal logic (western of course) this would mean that the same rule applies to right turns as other turns (straight or left) i.e. they are not allowed. perhaps they have changed the law since then...
May 18th 2011, 1:50 pm
#13
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Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Dubai
Posts: 6,373
Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
Just a quick warning - there are loads more cameras on traffic lights in Dubai now and they are enforcing the penalties if you shoot through them. A colleague's friend got a call this morning from the police station asking her to go down to just sort out a fine.
When she got there, they said they would send her to jail for a month, fine her a minimum of 5,000 dirhams and impound her car for 8 months. They would not just let her leave the police station and she got the impression she would basically be put straight in jail.
That was the last I heard, which was this morning, as she called my colleague to get some help and I don't know what has happened since then.
She went through a legitimate U turn but through the light when it was red, she was behind a large lorry so she could not see the overhead light til it was too late but they did not accept this as they said the lights have the little ones at eye level so she has no excuse.
I have no idea if this will get enforced as she has been told but just watch out for those lights and I think it would be wise to just avoind illegal U turns, going through red lights, speeding, etc. It certainly can't hurt!
When she got there, they said they would send her to jail for a month, fine her a minimum of 5,000 dirhams and impound her car for 8 months. They would not just let her leave the police station and she got the impression she would basically be put straight in jail.
That was the last I heard, which was this morning, as she called my colleague to get some help and I don't know what has happened since then.
She went through a legitimate U turn but through the light when it was red, she was behind a large lorry so she could not see the overhead light til it was too late but they did not accept this as they said the lights have the little ones at eye level so she has no excuse.
I have no idea if this will get enforced as she has been told but just watch out for those lights and I think it would be wise to just avoind illegal U turns, going through red lights, speeding, etc. It certainly can't hurt!
No one should be speeding, turning illegally either!
N.
May 18th 2011, 2:36 pm
#14
Hit 16's
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Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
You're not serious that nobody should be speeding, are you?
May 18th 2011, 3:21 pm
#15
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Re: Warning about shooting red lights in Dubai
Where else can you "shoot" if not in a red light district - or have i skimmed too quickly again !