6th July, 2019
The United Arab Emirates has rolled out a stiff law that punishes residents who crowd around accident sites or post photo or video clips of accidents in the social media.
People who park their vehicles around accident sites to watch victims will also be punished. The practice, known as rubbernecking is also common in Nigeria.
Taking and posting photos or videos of accident sites on social media can lead to imprisonment and a fine of up to Dh150,000($41,000) under the UAE’s cybercrime law. Those found obstructing or blocking roads near accident sites can be punished with a fine of Dh1,000($272)
The law came into effect today, according to the country’s Ministry of Interior (MoI).
The ministry warned against taking and posting photographs or video clippings of road accidents on social networking sites, emphasising the need to consider human dignity and the feelings of relatives of the accident victims.
It said the circulation of accident images “is deemed an irresponsible behaviour among the citizens. It is also a violation of the law”.
“The circulation of these images is unacceptable as it can cause a psychological shock to the families of victims when they view such images,” said the ministry in a statement.
“Taking pictures of accident scenes and sharing them online is against the UAE’s values derived from the Islamic concept of tolerance.”
The police said crowding around crash sites prevents emergency personnel from doing their job.
Brigadier Khalifa Mohammed Al Khaili, director of Traffic and Patrols of the Abu Dhabi Police said: “Crowding and taking photos at accident sites could delay the work of traffic patrols, ambulances and civil defence vehicles, which will result in worsening the condition of the injured or may even cause fatalities.
“People should consider the serious consequences of such “uncivilised behaviour” which may endanger their lives and the lives of others,” he said.
Thomas Edelman, managing director of Road Safety UAE, said that people crowding at accident sites to stare is a world-wide phenomenon.
“Staring at accident sites or rubbernecking as we term it, is a common behaviour not only in the UAE but also in other countries,” said Edelman.
“Drivers will slow down and even bring traffic to a standstill as they try to satisfy their curiosity and get a better look at the aftermath of a collision. Unfortunately, rubbernecking can lead to additional accidents as drivers suffering from such distractions often end up crashing themselves.”
He added: “Rubbernecking is impolite and a very bad behaviour, which people should stop because it affects the injured and other road users.”
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