Abu Dhabi: An investigation is under way to determine whether a manufacturing error or weather conditions led to the cruise control jamming in a motorist's vehicle cruising at 160km/h.
The incident occurred on Saturday when an Emirati motorist's cruise control jammed on the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain highway. The man called Abu Dhabi Police, who dispatched two vehicles that surrounded him from the front and rear while giving him instructions on the phone.
Police advised the motorist to pull up the handbrake slowly and repeatedly, and after 45 minutes, the vehicle came to a halt near Ramah, where an ambulance was on standby in case of a crash.
"The motorist drove a 2007 model four-wheel drive vehicle. An investigation is under way to determine the cause. Once the technical report is completed, and depending on the findings, the motorist may have the right to lodge a complaint against the agency," Colonel Hamad Al Beloushi, Head of Traffic Police for the External Abu Dhabi Region at the Traffic and Patrols Department at Abu Dhabi Police, said.
Another police official told Gulf News that a technical investigation revealed that the vehicle was modified by the owner to enhance speed performance. Al Beloushi said that the malfunction could be due to modifications carried out in workshops that do not specialise in such operations, or due to the vehicle being imported from another country that is not in accordance with UAE specifications.
"There are two options that can be deployed to halt a jammed vehicle. The first is for motorists to receive instructions from the police. If not successful, and if the situation poses a danger to civilians, then the police can carry out a forceful intervention using their cars," he added.
Abu Dhabi Police called on motorists to exercise caution when a malfunction occurs in the cruise control system, and to report it to the agency from which the vehicle was bought.
"This incident highlights the importance of raising awareness in motorists to report these malfunctions to the agency, which can then contact the manufacturer in the country of origin. If the malfunction is found in recent models, they will have to be withdrawn from the market," Al Beloushi added.
Police initially advised the driver to put his seatbelt on and to shift the gear to neutral (N), but the car did not slow down.
With inputs by Mohammad Al Jashi, Staff Reporter
