Accidents are down sharply on Dubai roads

Dubai: The new year has started with a positive improvement in the situation on Dubai's roads, as there have been only four major accidents since the beginning of the year and none was fatal, a senior police official said.

Lieutenant Colonel Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Acting Director of the Dubai Police Traffic Department, said there were fewer accidents on New Year's Eve compared to last year.

He said the reason was the cancellation of New Year's Eve parties and the dense fog which prompted many people to stay at home.

He said one person was killed and 15 accidents were reported on New Year's Eve last year between 10pm and 2am.

The traffic police also reported 14,737 offences during the same period last year.

He pointed out that the police also caught 26 motorists driving without licences and confiscated 150 vehicles within two hours last year.

Lieutenant Colonel Al Mazroui said traffic department staff, headed by Brigadier Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, director of the department, were present on the main roads on New Year's Eve to organise traffic movement and maintain security.

Lieutenant Colonel Al Mazroui said the four major accidents since the beginning of this year, all of them involving injuries, occurred as a result of speeding and reckless driving.

Three people sustained serious injuries when a woman rammed into a sand pile on the Dubai Bypass Road in the direction of Al Aweer.

The woman sustained serious injuries.

In another accident, a motorcyclist sustained serious injuries when he was hit by a car on Al Ittihad Road heading toward Dubai.

A jaywalker sustained serious injuries when a car hit him as he was trying to cross the road in an undesignated area in Jebel Ali.

Another jaywalker sustained serious injuries when a car struck him in the Al Quoz Industrial Area as a result of speeding and reckless driving by the driver.

Lieutenant Colonel Al Mazroui called on motorists to practice caution and drive carefully to protect their own lives and those of other road users.

I travel between Sharjah and Jebel Ali everyday on either Dubai Bypass Road or Emirates Road and I always see people who drive recklessely, especially SUV's. They come tailgate you even if you are abiding by the speed limit and they do not even bother giving you time to give way. I feel that people have a lot of ego when drivnig on the road. I have driven in many other countries, but have not come across this kind of situation, because people respect other road users and do not push them just because they are driving a small car. People in the UAE need a lot of patience when they drive on the roads here. If one has a powerful car, it does not mean they need to travel at 180 kilometres an hour (km/hr) on a road that has a speed limit of 120km/hr. I think education is key to getting people to obey rules on roads.
Ajoy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 11:38