Sharjah: Sharjah Police have lowered the driving speed limit on Maliha Road to 100km/h from 120km/h to curb the number of fatal accidents.
The move comes after a field study conducted by Sharjah Police and its strategic partners to assess the speed limit on dangerous roads which witnessed a number of fatal accidents in order to raise the traffic safety on these roads.
The study recommended reducing the speed limit on Maliha Road from 120km/h to 100km/h, particularly the stretch which links Al Bada’a Bridge to the exit of Shaikh Khalifa Road.
Lieutenant Colonel Dr Ahmad Saeed Al Naour, acting director of the Traffic and Patrol Department at Sharjah Police, said the move comes in order to protect people’s lives.
The new speed limit will be applied from January 1 to upgrade traffic safety on this road.
Lt Col Al Naour said this move also comes in line with the Ministry of Interior’s strategy to ensure road safety.
Speeding is considered the main reason behind fatal accidents, he said.
“We are focusing on several accident-prone areas, including Maliha Road, Al Dhaid-Sharjah Road, Emirates Road, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road and Sharjah Ring Road,” he said.
A third lane will be added and concrete barriers will be removed in two years on Maliha Road which witnessed 30 deaths in 2015.
The most common cause of accidents resulting in deaths is speeding, reckless driving and using mobile phones while driving.
In 2015, Sharjah Police recorded 157 traffic deaths compared with 130 deaths recorded until December 27 this year.
“Cameras on Maliha Road are now set at 100km/h, and will help in curbing speeding and reckless driving,” he said.
He said the move is part of police’s efforts to increase road safety and reduce deaths on the emirate’s roads. “Fixed and mobile speed cameras have been deployed on those roads to catch offenders,” he said.
