Starting from August 26, residents in the UAE can participate in a new initiative designed to reduce black points on their driving licenses. This program, coinciding with the first day of the new academic year when many students return to school, rewards drivers who strictly adhere to traffic rules by reducing four black points from their records. Vara Malinovsky, a Russian national living in Meydan, is among those hoping to benefit from this scheme. She currently has six black points due to an incident where she failed to yield to an emergency vehicle. "I didn't notice the fire truck behind me, and the traffic was moving very slowly," Malinovsky explained. After her vehicle was impounded for a month and fined Dh3,000, she managed to reduce two black points.
To join the initiative, drivers must pledge to follow six safe driving practices on the Ministry of Interior's website. These include maintaining safe distances, prioritizing pedestrians, wearing seatbelts, obeying speed limits, refraining from using mobile phones while driving, and yielding to emergency and public service vehicles. Malinovsky is eager to sign up to eliminate four more black points. "I'm grateful for this government initiative," she said, vowing to avoid any further violations. Abdul Hadi, an Iranian expatriate in Nad Al Hamar, has accumulated 22 black points over the past year, mostly from jumping a red light and other minor infractions. After settling his fines, he now has only two black points left and plans to register for the pledge.
Black points are issued for serious traffic violations, with the accumulation of 24 points within a year leading to a license suspension. Amr Akram, an Indian businessman, also intends to take advantage of the initiative. He has 12 black points on his record from parking in a special needs space and littering while driving. "I've learned my lesson; now I ensure I drive properly and avoid violations," Akram stated. This initiative, aimed at enhancing road safety as schools reopen, is anticipated to attract many participants. If all conditions are fulfilled, the four black points will be removed from the driving licenses on September 14.
