Dubai: A proposal is being prepared to amend speed limits on Dubai roads and introduce more stringent punishments for breaking them, Dubai Police said on Thursday.
Announcing the second ‘Speeding Kills' campaign this year, Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department, said he was not satisfied with the present speed limits and margins of 20 kilometres per hour (kph).
"A margin of 10kph over the maximum speed limit will be enough, and we are seeking an amendment to the current speed limits, especially on the roads inside the city," Maj Gen Al Zafein said.
The step is in line with the police's strategy to reduce road deaths to zero per 100,000 residents by 2020 from the current rate of four per 100,000 residents.
The ‘Speeding Kills' campaign, which started yesterday, will run until the end of the year.
"We saw a 50 per cent reduction in road deaths caused by speeding during the month of the campaign last year, and we are aiming to cut down road deaths this year as well by intensifying our patrols and radar guns especially on highways," he said.
The road death toll has reached 118 so far this year, against 152 in 2010.
"I expect that by the end of the year, the number will not exceed 135 deaths, but will not be less than 125," Maj Gen Al Zafein said.
While Emirates Road and Shaikh Zayed Road continue to have the highest number of fatal crashes, Dubai Bypass Road is also being monitored as one of the worst when it comes to road deaths. "Light vehicles caused the highest number of deaths, but in the second place came heavy vehicles, which caused 92 deaths between 2005 and 2007, although they only add up to 20 per cent of the total number of vehicles on the road, and since heavy vehicles use Dubai Bypass Road, we are witnessing an increase in the number of deaths on this road," he added.
There were 201 violations of exceeding the speed limit by 60kph and above in 2011, and 184,745 speeding tickets were issued to commercial vehicles, including 40,475 on Shaikh Zayed Road and 6,585 on Shaikh Rashid Road.
"We will not achieve our target of zero road deaths unless we strictly impose the laws, make seatbelts mandatory for back seat passengers and amend speed limits and margins," Maj Gen Al Zafein said.
No small number
Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Deputy Chief of Dubai Police, said losing 125 people to road accidents calls for more efforts to reduce this number.
In his opening speech of the ‘Speeding Kills' campaign, he said Dubai Police was criticised because of the high number of radars on the roads, but saving human life is the purpose behind these radars.
"Speed is the determining factor in many cases of whether a person dies in a road accident or not, and we are keen to cut down the number of deaths," he said.
- 20kph: maximum permissible margin of exceeding limit
- 4: road deaths per 100,000 residents in the UAE
- 118: road death toll this year as against 152 in 2010
- 184,745: speeding tickets for commercial vehicles this year
Punitive Measures
Drivers exceeding the speed limit by 60kph will be immediately stopped, fined Dh1,000, given 12 black points, and have their cars confiscated for a month.
Breaking the limit by 51 to 59kph will result in eight black points and a Dh900 fine.
Indian, Pakistani and Emirati drivers caused the highest number of deadly accidents and people from the same nationalities also constituted the highest number of road victims, while the age group that caused the highest number of fatal accidents was between 18 and 30 years old.
