Thinking about posting a video of yourself committing a crime? We hope you have a spare $100,000 laying around, like one Emirati citizen who posted a clip of himself attempting some not-so-safe stunts on the streets of Dubai.
The 19-year old driver posted his stunts to YouTube, only to be slapped with a 500,000 dirhams ($136,123) fine for reckless driving. One thing is for sure, the Dubai Police certainly are demonstrating just how serious they are about meeting their 2020 goal of zero traffic fatalities.
In a scathing rebuke of the reckless stunt, Major-General Khamis Matar Al Mazeina, commander-in-chief of the Dubai Police, said, “We live in a civilized country and the government has shelled out a lot of money to put in place a robust road infrastructure that ensures traffic safety," according to The National .
“What are people going to think if they see skid marks on the roads? They will think there is chaos and ignorance here.”
Local residents complained about the youth's antics on the Al Qudra and Meydan roads. Further incriminating himself, the young man posted a video of his stunts to social media.
To his credit, the 19-year old immediately confessed to the crime upon being summoned and paid his fine. The young man's driver's license and vehicle have also been taken away. Good thing he had the spare change laying around to fit the bill.
Although the Dubai Police may give steep penalties to unsafe drivers, they also award safe drivers with prizes. Last month two motorists were rewarded with free cars as a result of the police department's White Points Initiative.