UAE | Traffic and Transport

Radars watch for signal violators and speedsters

21 traffic cameras configured at major junctions

  • By Alia Al Theeb, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 December 22, 2005
  • Gulf News

Dubai: Police have configured radars at major intersections to catch speedsters and violators of traffic signals, a senior police official said yesterday.

Twenty-one radars at various important locations including Beirut Road, Jumeirah Road and Al Wasl Road have been configured to detect both speedsters and signal jumpers at the same time, the official said.

"The 21 radars will monitor motorists who jump the red light as well as those who exceed the speed limit," said Khalfan Al Barwani, head of the Traffic Safety Section of Dubai Police.

"The decision came in light of the increasing number of accidents caused by speeding," said Al Barwani.

The fines, however, will remain the same, which are Dh500 with five black points for jumping a red light and Dh200 with one black point for speeding.

"We are implementing this for the first time. Currently, there are 133 radars on Dubai roads. We urge motorists to abide by the speed limit and traffic rules to reduce the number of accidents," Al Barwani said.

Pedestrians

Concerning pedestrian deaths, police said companies who do not provide their workers with transportation are to be blamed.

Brigadier Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of the General Traffic Department of Dubai Police, said: "I do not blame road constructors, but the companies that allow their workers to cross the roads. They should provide transportation for them."

He said: "We have a shortage in road crossings, but highways are not designed for pedestrians, they are only for motorists.

"In downtown and arterial roads such as Al Ghusais, we have to provide pedestrian crossings because they are not only for motorists. Pedestrians have a 50 per cent right and motorists have a 50 per cent right."

He said on Jumeirah Road, however, pedestrians have a 70 per cent right because it is a commercial and residential area.

"On Jumairah Road there are pedestrian crossings every 500 metres, 50 radars and we are looking to reduce the speed limit from 80km/h to 70km/h," said Brigadier Al Zafein.

"These measures should be taken on all roads that have a high number of pedestrian accidents, such as Al Wasl Road," he said.

He also said some pedestrians are to be blamed because they do not determine whether it is safe to cross the road.

Cyclists

"Our roads are not well-equipped for cyclists. But they also do not have enough awareness about using safety equipment to protect them, especially in the dark," Brigadier Al Zafein said.

Some 52 cyclists were killed on Dubai roads in the last five years.

"Most of these accidents happen in the first three hours after sunset because motorists' visibility becomes weak," he added.

The campaign that police started to create awareness among cyclists is still on. The next campaign will focus on child safety.

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