Dubai rush hour
File photo: Motorists who do not commit any traffic violations for an entire year and collect 24 'white points' have been rewarded every year by the Dubai Police since 2013 iStock

Dubai Police handed over the keys to two brand new cars to two drivers for not committing any traffic offences for a year.

Dr Fatima Darwish Al Emmadi won the grand prize of a Hyundai Veloster while Khowla Waleed Al Marzouqi won a Hyundai Sonata under the new category created for motorists aged between 18 and 21 years old.

Motorists who do not commit any traffic violations for an entire year and collect 24 'white points' have been rewarded every year by the Dubai Police since 2013. This year, a total of 1,800 'safe' motorists were given various gifts, including vouchers, topping last year's figure of 1,500.

The white point system was implemented by the Dubai Police to encourage motorists to follow traffic rules and to become safe drivers, Khaleej Times reports.

The white points can be redeemed in various ways and can even be used to cancel some fines. To qualify for white points, the driver should not have any traffic violation on their driving licence or the vehicle registered under him during a year. That includes passing Salik tollgates without credit, parking or traffic fines in either Dubai or other emirates.

Good drivers awarded by Dubai Police His Excellency Lt. General Khamis Mattar Al Muzianah, Commander-in-chief of Dubai Police, has recently awarded winners of Dubai Police White Points programme for good drivers. Al Muzainah said this year, there were 1800 ideal drivers, 1090 of them were men. He added that 400 of the winners were UAE nationals, 530 Asians, 500 Arabs, 270 Europeans, and 100 from other nationalities.Dr Fatima Al Imadi and Khawlah Waleed Al Marzouqi , both UAE nationals, won two brand new cars as reward for a safe year behind the wheel.To qualify to the White Points, drivers must not commit offences such as speeding, passing under Salik tollgates without credit or being issued traffic tickets in Dubai or the other emirates.All the winners receive 24 white points two at the end of each month that they can use to waive minor traffic violations.

Posted by Dubai Police - Official Page on Sunday, July 31, 2016
Facebook/Dubai Police

Each eligible driver can receive a total of 24 white points a year, two for each month. They will lose their entitlement for the month when they are involved in any kind of traffic violation that month regardless of whether the vehicle was driven by the owner, the Gulf News reports.

Al Emmadi, who has been driving since 1995, who received her keys to her car from Dubai Police Chief Lt Gen Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina on 31 July, said: "I have made a few mistakes in previous years, but this year I had a clean slate." She plans to donate the car to the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment.

Major-General Mohammed Saif Al Zafin, the Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Operations for Dubai Police said that this year alone a total of 53 people were killed in traffic accidents while 46,200 sustained moderate injuries and 262 received minor injuries.

In the first three months of 2016, drivers aged between 18 and 36 years, were responsible for the deaths of 31 people and 31 serious injuries while those aged between 37 and 57, caused 19 deaths and 13 injuries, he said.

Col Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, the director of Dubai Traffic Police said: "I can say this is the first of a kind of initiative, as most countries punish violators, but do not think of awarding the law-abiding motorists. This initiative thanks those who drive safe and do not put their lives or the lives of others at risk."