Dubai ups punishment for make-up while driving

Women caught adding make up while driving could be fined Dh1,000 while their car will be impounded for one month and 12 black points will be added to their record, Dubai’s police chief was reported on Saturday as saying.

 Major-General Mohammed Saif Al Zaffin said using cosmetics while driving is classified as “negligent driving” which poses a threat to road users, adding that such a practice is more dangerous than using mobile phones in moving cars.

 Quoted by the Dubai-based Arabic language daily Emarat Alyoum,  Zaffin said he himself had seen women adding make-up while driving to work while many other female drivers are caught red-handed by police patrols in the morning.

 Zaffin’s remarks on Saturday involved stiffer punishment than what he announced early this week although he noted that there is no specific road offence in the traffic law involving adding make up while driving.

“There is no definite offence for this but such a practice (adding make-up) could be within violations involving driving in a way that poses a threat to road users…such offences involve penalties of up to Dh1,000, 12 black points and seizure of the car for one month,” he said.

“Actually this behavior is more dangerous than using mobile phones while driving because women doing so use their car mirror and this will detract her attention and block her vision and concentration on the road…this could result in collision with the car moving in front of their vehicle.”

Zafin urged female drivers going to work in the morning to “wake up early and get fully prepared to go to work so they will not have to add make-up in the car.”

“Women adding make-up while driving will now be classified as driving in a way that poses a threat to the public…the best way for them to avert punishment is to get ready at home or stop their vehicle off the road and apply make-up.”

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