Sharjah: Sharjah Police have fined as many as 758 heavy and light vehicle drivers since the beginning of June for violating traffic rules on highways and other roads in the emirate.
The police recently kicked off a number of safety campaigns, including one on tyre safety. “The drivers were fined because their trucks did not have tyres fit for the roads”, said Colonel Ahmad Bin Darwish, Head of Traffic and Patrol Department at Sharjah Police. Motorists found flouting federal traffic rules were fined Dh200 and the vehicle impounded for seven days.
During the campaign, brochures in Arabic and English were distributed to motorists and truck drivers to educate them about the importance of regularly checking their tyres and the dangers of driving vehicles with worn-out or old tyres.
Colonel Bin Darwish said the condition of vehicle tyres is a major factor in fatal road accidents.
“It is very hot this time of the year and it affects the asphalt on the road, s which develop cracks and cause tyre bursts. During summer, more people travel by cars and we witness more accidents linked to car tyres. They should double check the safety of their cars and tyres before travelling,” he said.
He said motorists should comply with the limits of permitted loads. “Overloading leads to vehicle imbalance and it becomes difficult to control the car.”
The campaign has helped bring down the number of deaths on the roads. Sharjah plans to bring down deaths on the roads to zero by 2020 through its traffic strategy.
