UAE | Traffic and Transport
Driver attitudes must change, says RTA chief
Ten per cent of road accidents in Dubai are the result of driver attitudes, a senior official said.
- Staff Report
- Published: 00:28 December 31, 2007
- Image Credit: Supplied Picture
- The RTA chief says driving instructors must emphasise the importance of road safety and adherence to regulations. This picture is for illustrative purposes only.
Dubai: Ten per cent of road accidents in Dubai are the result of driver attitudes, a senior official said.
Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), stressed the importance of focusing on driving schools to raise driver attitudes during training.
"This is important to create drivers who are committed to the rules and regulations of driving and traffic, to minimise the percentage of accidents resulting from driver attitudes, which accounts for 10 per cent of accidents in Dubai, and to reduce the rate of traffic offences," he said.
He was talking during an extended meeting with presidents and directors of driving institutes in the presence of Maitha Bin Adai, CEO of the Traffic and Roads Agency, Ali Al Jasem, Director of the Licensing Department and other officials.
He pointed out that traffic safety levels in Dubai, though better than some neighbouring countries and cities, fell short of the levels in advanced countries.
Traffic awareness
"The RTA is about to fin-alise a comprehensive directory to develop and upgrade the level of procedures and methodology of training and licensing drivers with a view to developing the mechanism of training drivers and testing regimes, in addition to promoting traffic awareness and education among drivers applying for driving licences," Al Tayer said.
Driving school representatives called for an increase in the number of testers to accommodate the increase in the number of trainees wishing to obtain driving licences.
Al Tayer explored the possibility of establishing a society of Learner Institutes in Dubai. He also directed the employment of more testers, and the preparation of a plan detailing permissible training areas along with training timing, and for it to be circulated among all institutes to ensure compliance.
The meeting also discussed the importance of rotating testers between institutes so that the tester shall not remain for a long period in one institute. The meeting also discussed training areas where driver training is permissible and the timing of training drivers on certain roads.
Al Tayer said the priority of the RTA's strategy was to upgrade motorists' skills and acquaint them with traffic rules as well as the means of averting offences to create a generation of ideal drivers.
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