Motorist caught speeding in Sharjah at 278km/hr

Sharjah: A traffic radar in Sharjah has caught a motorist speeding at 278km/hr, police told Gulf News.

Captain Saud Al Shaiba, Director of Traffic Awareness and Traffic Media Branch, said the speeding violation caught by the radar was the highest speed detected in the emirate since the beginning of this year.

The motorist was seen speeding on Nazwa-Maleiha Road. Police summoned the reckless driver — a man in his 20s from a Gulf country — and impounded his vehicle.

Captain Al Shaiba said Sharjah Police were working hard to reduce the risk posed by road users to others by driving or riding at high speed.

He said that despite police warnings about the dangers of speeding, drivers repeat the violation and endanger lives.

Motorists get double violation penalties for speeding and putting lives in danger.

Police said that many motorists don’t realise the dangers of speeding. Scientific studies have proved that the force of impact of a collision when driving at 220km/hr is physically equivalent to a fall from the 60th floor; at 200km/hr, it is equivalent to a fall from the 50th floor; and at 140km/hr, it is equivalent to a fall from the 30th floor, thereby significantly increasing the chances of death from collision at such speeds.

Captain Al Shaiba added that police have doubled their efforts to reduce accidents by launching a safety campaign during the year.