Dubai: An Emirati man driving recklessly on the roads had to pay Dubai Traffic Police Dh100,000 just to release his vehicle from the impound, according to police records.

To stamp out erratic driving on Dubai’s roads, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, issued a decree in August 2015 granting Dubai Police the authority to impound vehicles of street racers instantly.

Since the new rule came into effect, police have shown a zero-tolerance policy towards reckless drivers, and have confiscated 1,226 vehicles in 2016.

Colonel Jamal Al Banai, Deputy Director of Dubai Traffic Police, said that one biker had to pay Dh50,000 to have his motorbike released after he was caught driving on a paved road.

According to police documents for 2016, 31 motorists participated in illegal street races, and 325 vehicles were seized due to reckless driving. As many as 24 motorists also had their vehicles seized while they attempted to flee from police and avoid paying the hefty fines.

“We recorded 281 motorists who were booked at the scene, while 945 had their driving behavior noted down and were booked at a later date,” said Col Al Banai.

According to the decree, vehicles with speed boosters and other illegal modifications causing disturbance to others will also be seized by the police.

Motorists driving recklessly or trying to dodge the police will also see their cars impounded.

He pointed out that almost 50 per cent of drivers have filed objections against having their vehicles categorized under the decree.

Col Al Banai said that, “119 vehicles were fined and seized for blocking traffic, including 20 vehicles that were confiscated on the spot.”

The remaining 99 other vehicles were located and seized at a later date.

He added that 31 vehicles were seized for speeding, 10 had been re-painted without the knowledge or approval from authorities, nine vehicles only had one plate number instead of two, and three were seized for creating environmental pollution.