$218 fine warning issued by police in UAE

In a statement issued on social media, the Abu Dhabi Police warned motorists against using their mobile phones while driving - for their safety and the safety of others.

The post specifically urged against playing games on the mobile while on the road.

The traffic violation carries a Dh800 fine along with four black points.

Use of mobile phones was pinpointed as the leading cause of distraction among motorists who cause serious accidents, according to an online survey conducted by the Ministry of Interior recently.

In the survey, 71.4 per cent of the respondents chose the use of mobile phones while driving as the main reason drivers are being distracted on the roads while 17.7 per cent said it was attending to children. Eating and drinking were chose as a distraction by 10.9 per cent of the respondents.

The traffic authorities had recorded 88,619 mobile phone violations committed by drivers across the UAE in 2018 - an average of 243 offences per day. A total of 323,102 mobile phone offences were registered during the last three years across the UAE.

Distractions while driving claimed the lives of 59 people in 438 accidents across the UAE in 2018, according to the UAE traffic authorities.

Traffic law bans drivers from texting, taking photos, eating or even applying makeup while driving.