Hotel staff told to check guests are safe to drive

Dubai hotel staff will be instructed to make sure guests or visitors are “stable, both mentally and physically” before handing over their cars, according to Dubai Police’s Traffic Department.

Police will coordinate with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) to “educate” hotel personnel on how to deal with visitors who appear to be under the influence of alcohol as part of a wider campaign to reduce the number of road fatalities caused by drinking and driving in the emirate.

If a guest appears unfit to drive, the hotel staff must call a taxi for them, according to general Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department.

"Sometimes even pedestrians under the influence of alcohol cause accidents because they lose their balance and focus and can cross the road without ensuring that it is clear or even cross a highway," Al Zafein told Gulf News.

"Eleven people died this year in accidents caused by driving under the influence, compared to only three deaths during the same period last year and a total of four in 2010," he said.

Some 258 accidents were caused by driving under the influence until the end of September this year, compared to 385 last year. This year 56 people were injured including six who were severely injured and 16 moderately, according to the newspaper report.