UAE police have come out with a completely new and out-of-the-box idea to deter speeding on the highway. This idea is based on the concept that citizens do fear the police or their car – even if it is just a cutout.
UAE police have a new tactic to deter speeding
To prevent motorists from speeding, the UAE police have put up a full-size cutout of a patrol car on the side of the highway. To make it look more real, the cutout has been equipped with flashing lights. Many videos uploaded on Facebook show that the cutout is supported by a black metal frame. The fake car is shown in a red and white color scheme with the number 999 printed on the side.
According to the Khaleej Times, on a UAE highway, motorists usually hit speeds of 140km/hr and above, against the permissible limit of 120km/hr. The cutout has been sighted on the highway from Umm Al Quwain to Ras Al Khaimah (E311 highway).
The idea has worked on some drivers. Mohammed Abdeen, a 30-year-old business development manager from Jordan, reduced his speed after seeing the fake patrol car, according to The National.
Abdeen, who saw the car last Friday, said, “I reduced my speed but, when I became close to it, I noticed it was just a model with lights on it. I had to ask my wife if what I saw was right or not because it made me confused.”
As of now, the car has been removed from the highway, and there is no information on if the UAE police will use the same tactic in the future, notes Gulf News.
Does the use of fake cutouts help?
Cutouts of policemen in public places have been used by several countries like the U.S., India, Australia and New Zealand to deter citizens from breaking the rules. However, use of a fake car is definitely the first of its kind.
In 2013, Boston police experimented with a cardboard cutout of a Boston Transit Police officer at the Alewife MBTA station in Cambridge, a popular place for bike and other thefts. India’s high-tech city Bangalore also tested the idea of a cardboard cutout to scare drivers in 2013.
Using fake cutouts serves a dual purpose. Along with deterring citizens from breaking the law, it also frees up resources for other important crimes.
“We’re not tied up taking stolen bike reports here so we are more available to respond to more serious crimes that require a police response,” a policemen told CBS Boston previously.
