Dubai Police have issued a warning about the “tragic consequences” of performing reckless social media stunts on the road, after a passenger was caught on camera sitting on an open car door and taking pictures.
The force said the incident, which was widely shared online, reflected a “lack of awareness” about the dangers and told the public to abide by traffic rules.
Police seized the vehicle used in the stunt for 60 days, issued a Dh2,000 ($544) fine to the driver and imposed 23 black points on her licence. Brig Juma bin Suwaidan, director of the Dubai Police traffic department, said the passenger endangered her life and other motorists.
“It could lead to tragic consequences within moments due to loss of balance, the need for the driver to brake suddenly, or swerving to avoid an unexpected hazard on the road,” he said.
He stressed that sitting on the outside a moving vehicle could cause serious injury or death, especially when the vehicle is travelling at high speed.
“Public roads are not a place for stunts or filming digital content at the expense of the safety of others,” Brig bin Suwaidan added. “Such practices are irresponsible and reflect a lack of awareness of the resulting dangers.
“The driver was identified and summoned, the vehicle was impounded and a traffic violation was issued under the category of ‘driving a vehicle in a manner that endangers the life, safety, or security of the driver or others’.”
Dubai Police take a zero tolerance approach to irresponsible driving that endangers lives and property, the senior officer said.
He called on drivers and passengers to sit properly inside the vehicle, wear seatbelts and to refrain from attempting challenges on the road.
“Seconds of stunting can turn into a tragedy that may change the lives of innocent people forever,” he said. “True awareness is not measured by the number of followers or views, but by the respect a person has for their own life and the lives of others.
“Seconds of stunting can turn into an irreversible tragedy, while obeying the law is the safe path to reaching one’s destination.”