UAE imposes Up to Dh10,000 fine, jail for leaving children alone in cars

UAE imposes Up to Dh10,000 fine, jail for leaving children alone in cars

Leaving children unattended in vehicles is a crime under UAE laws and culpable with a robust fine and even imprisonment. This came as authorities featured a recent case where the police rescued a child who got locked in a car as his mother went out for shopping. This comes under ‘negligence’ under Article 35 of the Wadeema Law.  according to Article 56 of a similar law, the offense is punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine of up to Dh5,000 in light of the judge’s evaluation on a case-by-case basis. in some cases, endangerment of the life and safety of people may be punishable by imprisonment/or a fine of up to Dh10,000.

Captain Mohammed Hamad Al Isai, director of Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate, said that the practice exposes the lives of children to danger. Parents who leave their children in parked cars will be sued for negligence. He referred to a tragic accident of a child who suffocated to death in the sweltering heat when his father forgot him inside the car. His father was attending work-related phone calls throughout the trip and had forgotten the child, who was sleeping.

The Dubai Police said recently that they protected 36 children from locked vehicles since the beginning of the year.