UAE | Traffic and Transport

Reckless vehicles have no fear for police

Reckless heavy vehicle drivers do not even spare police patrols, a senior police official said, citing a recent incident where a truck hit a stationary police patrol and caused severe damage to it.

  • By Alia Al Theeb, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:11 June 6, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • This pile-up took place near Ghantoot on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway. Four people were killed in the accident.
  • Image Credit: Prasad Nair/Gulf News
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Dubai: Reckless heavy vehicle drivers do not even spare police patrols, a senior police official said, citing a recent incident where a truck hit a stationary police patrol and caused severe damage to it.

Lieutenant Colonel Saif Al Mazroui, Acting Deputy Director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department, said accidents involving overturning heavy vehicles have increased noticeably lately, citing the month of April in which approximately 20 overturning accidents were caused by heavy vehicles.

Lt Col Al Mazroui said most of the accidents in which heavy vehicles are involved are individual cases, the main cause of which is speeding, reckless driving and loss of control due to overloaded and unfit tyres.

"Many heavy vehicle drivers drive recklessly and cause accidents that result in vehicles overturning. One of the recent examples is when a truck hit a police patrol that was parked on the side of the road and the patrol was severely damaged and cancelled," he said.

Lt Col Al Mazroui said that accidents involving heavy vehicles, even minor ones, cause a lot of inconvenience on the roads because they block the entire road until they are moved out. He said this adds to traffic congestion, especially on highways.

Intensive campaigns

Lt Col Al Mazroui said the department has formed special teams to carry out intensive checks after the increase in the number of accidents involving heavy vehicles. The teams will inspect the roads used by heavy vehicles and ensure their abidance by traffic rules, load limits and ban hours.

He said the department is also working with the Roads and Transport Auth-ority (RTA) to form a joint team of police patrols and experts to carry out campaigns on the roads as well as check the tyres of heavy vehicles, load limits and other safety rules.

"The problem is that many companies are more concerned about making money than the safety of road users. Therefore, there are some who are driving heavy vehicles on light vehicle licences," he said.

He added that in some cases the drivers become exhausted after working for long hours, which makes them lose attention while driving, citing cases of serious accidents when drivers have fallen asleep behind the wheel, which has cost them their lives.

Lt Col Al Mazroui said that Dubai Police carries out regular checks on the load limits of heavy vehicles. As per the traffic law, heavy vehicles must state the load limit on the sides of the vehicle. If the load limit is not mentioned, police can fine the driver.

Lt Col Al Mazroui said one of the offences that have noticeably increased is long heavy vehicles which carry more than one container of a length that could reach up to 15 metres.

"Most traffic offences committed by heavy vehicle drivers require confiscation of the vehicle."

Brigadier Mohammad Saif Al Zafein

Director of Dubai Traffic Department

"Many heavy vehicle drivers drive recklessly and cause accidents that result in vehicles overturning."

Lieutenant Colonel Saif Al Mazroui

Acting Deputy Director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department

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