In one of the most notable developments of the year from the transport sector so far, the Abu Dhabi traffic authorities have decided to remove the “grace speed limit” from all Abu Dhabi roads. This new initiative is based on the study of important factors such as the data of traffic accidents and traffic intensity on all internal and external roads of Abu Dhabi. Once authorities remove the grace speed limit, motorists will have to drive within the set speed limit of a road to avoid hefty speeding fines and other penalties.
Authorities aim at improving the road safety situation in the emirate by removing the speed limit buffer and all the speed radars on Abu Dhabi roads will soon be adjusted accordingly to catch speeding violations committed by motorists.
Details of the New Announcement by Abu Dhabi Police
Abu Dhabi Police issued a statement on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, about the removal of grace speed limit from Abu Dhabi Roads. According to the announcement, the 20 Km/h grace speed limit, which is currently applicable on all Abu Dhabi roads will be removed from August 12, 2018. After the removal of grace speed limit, motorists will have to drive within the specified speed limit of a particular road, even a minor violation of which will result in hefty penalties.
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— شرطة أبوظبي (@ADPoliceHQ) August 2, 2018
Abu Dhabi Police has also explained that after the removal of grace speed limit, the current maximum speed limit of the roads will be increased. It means Abu Dhabi roads that have a 60 Km/h maximum speed limit will have a new maximum speed limit of 80 Km/h while highways where the maximum speed limit is 120 Km/h will have a new maximum speed limit of 140 Km/h. However, it is important to note that the speed limit on some roads will remain unchanged.
So, it is important for motorists in or travelling to Abu Dhabi to keep a watchful eye on the maximum speed limit for the roads they drive on as the speed limit for some roads will remain the same while it will increase for others.
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— شرطة أبوظبي (@ADPoliceHQ) July 29, 2018
Also read: Reduction in Traffic and Parking Fines Announced in Abu Dhabi
Official Statement
Major General Mohammad Khalfan Al Romaithi, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police mentioned that the decision to remove speed limit buffer on Abu Dhabi roads is a critical step that authorities have taken to reduce the number of road accidents caused by speeding violations in the emirate. The risk of a fatal road accident increases when motorists cruise their vehicles beyond the grace speed limit of a road. Over the years, the grace speed limit has helped motorists in avoiding hefty speeding tickets, however, the increase in the number of speed-related accidents has forced authorities to diminish the grace speed limit in Abu Dhabi.
Colonel Jamal Al Ameri, Executive Director of Saaed Society and a traffic expert said that having one speed system will bring more stability to Abu Dhabi roads. After the removal of grace speed limit, drivers will not have to guess the margin of speed that they can drive up to and still avoid traffic penalties for a particular road. He added that new signboards will be placed on all the internal external roads to show the new speed limits, whatever is written on the speed limit board after August 12, will be the actual speed limit.
Traffic Authorities to Launch Awareness Campaigns in Abu Dhabi
In addition to the announcement of the removal of grace speed limit from Abu Dhabi roads, traffic authorities have also announced that they will launch campaigns to make motorists aware of the new change in speed limits. This campaign will help motorists recognize the risks of committing speeding violations and make them aware of the new speed limits on all internal and external roads.
Authorities have urged motorists to show their maximum participation in these awareness campaigns so that no one commits speeding violations because of their lack of awareness about the change in speed limits.
Also read: A New Road Safety Campaign Launched by Abu Dhabi Police
Penalties for Speeding Violations in Abu Dhabi
The penalties for dangerous traffic violations including speeding violations were increased in the recently amended traffic law. According to the amended traffic law, motorists can even face speeding fines in excess of AED 2,000 besides other serious penalties, which include black points and confiscation of the vehicle.
The speeding penalties have been categorized on the basis of the amount of over-speeding committed against the specific speed limit of a road.
The table given below shows how motorists are penalized for committing speed violations in Abu Dhabi:
Motorists can face a whopping AED 3,000 fine for speeding 80 Km/h more than the speed limit of a road. Earlier, motorists were caught by speed monitoring radars only when they cruised their vehicles beyond the allowed grace speed limit, however, motorists will not be able to use the grace speed limit to their advantage anymore. This is the reason why motorists should now be more careful and drive within the new speed limits from August 12, 2018, in order to avoid hefty speeding fines and other penalties.
Bottom-line
Over the last few years, speeding has been one of the most frequently committed traffic violations in Abu Dhabi, which has deteriorated the road safety situation in the emirate. Authorities have decided to remove the grace speed limit and change the speed limits across all the internal and external roads in an effort to improve the road safety situation in Abu Dhabi. The proposed change in speed limits will benefit motorists as it demonstrates the progressive approach of authorities to streamline the flow of traffic on Abu Dhabi roads.
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