Traffic fatalities reduced by 37% from 2008 peak

Abu Dhabi: Traffic fatalities across the UAE have reduced by 37 cent from their 2008 peak, senior traffic safety officials announced in the capital today (November 2).

In 2015, a total of 675 fatalities were recorded, compared to 1,072 in 2008, said Brigadier General Gaith Hassan Al Zaabi, director- general of the General Directorate of Traffic Coordination at the UAE Ministry of Interior.

“The stricter traffic regulations implemented in 2008 have begun to yield results, and we hope to continue this trend till the rate of road fatalities per 100,000 is halved by 2021 from its current rate of 5.99,” he said.

Brig Gen Al Zaabi was speaking at the International Symposium on the Impact of Law Enforcement and Traffic Safety Monitoring, which saw traffic experts from around the world discuss the challenges of ensuring safety on the streets. It was organised by Emirates Traffic Safety Society, which aims to make UAE roads less dangerous for all.

According to the official, there were more than 9,000 road accidents in 2008. The tougher laws that were subsequently implemented reduced the total number of accidents to just 4,796 last year.

These laws outlined penalties for 170 different violations, and also introduced fines ranging from Dh100 to Dh3,000. In addition, the fine for motorists found driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs was hiked up to Dh20,000.

“This year, 650 fatalities have already been recorded and we hope to keep the number steady for the remaining two months,” said Major Dr Khalfan Al Naqbi, another official with the ministry’s road safety department.

He said that the UAE has set a benchmark for limiting traffic fatalities to three per 100,000 by 2021.

Brig Gen Al Zaabi added that the ministry is now working on a comprehensive road safety strategy, which it hopes to announce over the next few months.

“We are also studying possible regulations on mandatory child safety restraints, reduced speed limits in neighbourhoods with schools, and a lower annual maximum black point limit for new drivers,” he added.

According to the officials, human carelessness and error were still the main reason behind 90 per cent of traffic accidents. For example, sudden swerving led to 932 accidents last year, whereas 637 accidents occurred because motorists did not maintain safe distance between vehicles. Other major contributors to road accidents were a lack of respect among drivers for other road users, driver inattention, failure to adhere to traffic lanes, failure to check that roads are free before entering them, driving under the influence, speeding and jumping the red light.

“We have noted significant improvement in the driving behaviour of motorists aged between 18 and 35, and this is a positive sign,” Brig Gen Al Zaabi said. As reported by Gulf News last October (2015), this age group accounted for 63 per cent of all traffic accidents in the first nine months of 2015.

Traffic safety in the UAE

1,072 fatalities in 2008

675 fatalities in 2015

37% decline in traffic fatalities in 2008-2015

650 fatalities recorded so far in 2016

Major causes for traffic accidents in 2015

932 caused by sudden swerving

637 caused by drivers who did not maintain safe distance between vehicles

55 caused by motorists who did not respect other road users

503 caused by driver negligence and inattention

395 caused by drivers failing to adhere to traffic lanes

355 caused by motorists entering a road without checking to see if it was free