UAE | Traffic and Transport

Improving driving skills need of the hour

RTA's campaign seeks to emphasise better practices and behaviour among drivers on the emirate's roads.

  • By Alia Al Theeb, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:43 October 29, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: The chief of Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has urged motorists to improve their driving skills and follow driving safety rules to cut down the number of accidents and deaths on the streets of the emirate.

Announcing a major safety campaign Haseb/take care, Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA, said there are three factors that can make roads safe for all users.

"The three factors are improving safety at vehicles, improving the standards of road safety and improving the skills and behaviour of motorists," he said.

Al Tayer said while car manufacturers are the main authority concerned with safety at vehicles, the RTA helps improve the legislations organising the annual checkup of vehicles.

Standards

"The RTA believes it can create core improvements regarding improving the standards of road safety by adopting best international standards in establishing new projects. The RTA can also push for stricter implantation of rules to encourage motorists to be safe drivers on the roads," Al Tayer said.

Emphasising the need to wear seat belts, as many motorists ignore this rule, Al Tayer said studies show that wearing seatbelts cut down the number of fatalities and injuries among motorists and passengers by 50 to 60 per cent.

"Even wearing a seat belt at low speeds helps cut down deaths," he said.

Traffic accidents are a major cause of deaths among young people in the UAE. The main cause is heart disease.

According to federal report, a majority of accidents are due to human error and motorists not following traffic rules. The study showed that a small percentage of accidents are due to the state of roads and weather conditions.

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