Dubai to Ban Off-Road Motorcycles in Residential Areas

In an effort to crack down on “antisocial behaviour and noise”, the Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed has decided to ban off-road motorcycles in residential areas, roads, or any other newly established restricted areas. The new rule will take effect in six months.

When reading the report from UAE news source The National, it sure sounds like this is just a bunch of salty folks who are tired of these darn whippersnappers making all kinds of noise and mischief on their motorbikes. Of course, it’s being enacted as a safety measure. Dubai traffic police director Brig Saif Al Mazroui says, “The new rules will definitely reduce the number of motorcycle accidents and deaths. It will also organize the use of motorcycling among youth.”

Well, yeah. If you make motorcycles illegal you’re going to have a lot fewer motorcycle accidents. Dubai had 17 motorcycle deaths last year, all of which were 16-25-year-olds. There seems to be a lot of emphasis on trying to keep young people off of bikes.

“Many motorcyclists and off-road motorcycle riders don’t follow traffic etiquette and don’t care about others on the road,” said Road Safety UAE founder Thomas Edelmann, “We all experience roaring motorcycles producing incredible amounts of noise at the most odd times of the day and a lot during night hours. I am sure we all can tell stories of extremely noisy vehicles and motorcycles waking us and our families up in the middle of the night.”

It isn’t just old people applauding the ban. 22-year-old student Nataly Omar said, “People who ride off-road motorbikes always play loud music and never follow traffic instructions.” Darn kids and their rock and roll music!