UAE: Sharjah police release hard-hitting video to curb phone use and distracted driving behind the wheel

Sharjah Police have launched a hard-hitting awareness video warning drivers that even a few seconds of phone use behind the wheel can lead to tragic accidents, highlighting 267 crashes this year linked to distracted driving and urging everyone to “Don’t Be The Next Number.”

لا تكن أنت الرقم التالي
Don’t be the next number#شرطة_الشارقة#shjpolice#مجتمع_آمن_وشرطة_رائدة pic.twitter.com/9N67NNLc3G

— شرطة الشارقة (@ShjPolice) October 4, 2025

Sharjah police awareness video: seconds of distraction cost lives
Sharjah Police released a new awareness video on October 4, 2025, showing how a few seconds spent replying, scrolling or taking a photo behind the wheel can lead to irreversible tragedy. The message is blunt: every statistic is a person’s life, and every “number” in the tally represents a preventable story. The short film closes with the campaign slogan, “Don’t be the next number,” urging drivers to put phones away while driving.

Local toll and legal consequences: 267 accidents and strict penalties
Sharjah officials say 267 traffic accidents this year were linked specifically to mobile-phone use while driving — a figure Sharjah Police are using to underline the scale of the problem. Across the UAE, distracted driving penalties are steep: using a hand-held phone can incur an AED 800 fine and four black points under federal traffic law, with repeat or aggravated offences sometimes attracting vehicle impoundment. Authorities routinely use smart cameras and patrols to detect offenders.

Sharjah road accidents and phone-related crashes analysis
Sharjah Police have revealed that 267 traffic accidents in 2025 so far were directly linked to mobile phone use while driving . These accidents include collisions ranging from minor fender-benders to serious crashes causing injuries and fatalities.

To put this into perspective:

• Total reported road accidents in Sharjah (2025, Jan–Sep): ~1,950
  
• Percentage linked to phone use: ~14%
  
• Fatalities linked to phone use: 12 deaths reported
  
• Common scenarios: texting while driving, scrolling social media, answering calls without hands-free devices
  

Authorities note that distracted driving has overtaken speeding as one of the leading causes of accidents in Sharjah. Patrols and smart traffic cameras are being used to detect offenders, while the awareness campaigns aim to reduce these numbers significantly.

Experts say that even 3–5 seconds of distraction at typical city speeds can result in a collision, emphasizing that campaigns like “Don’t Be The Next Number” are crucial for behavioral change.

Nationwide push: coordinated campaigns and traffic-safety programs
The Sharjah campaign is part of a broader UAE drive against distracted driving. Federal and emirate police forces (including Dubai and Abu Dhabi ) have released similar hard-hitting videos and data in recent months, and the Ministry of Interior’s road-safety events have explicitly focused on “driving without a phone.” Authorities combine public education, technological enforcement (smart cameras, AI monitoring) and legal penalties to cut incidents.

What drivers must do — simple actions that save lives

• Put the phone on Do Not Disturb and stow it before you start driving.
  
• Use hands-free only if absolutely necessary — best practice is to stop safely before interacting.
  
• Rely on passenger assistance for navigation or calls, or set directions before you move.
  
• Report distracted drivers to authorities when safe to do so.
  

These steps take seconds to set up and dramatically reduce crash risk; the goal of the campaign is behavior change, not blame.