Traffic Department launches pedestrian safety campaign

Dubai: There was a 20 per cent drop in pedestrian fatalities in 2008 compared to 2007, but a 13 per cent rise in accidents involving pedestrians, a recent study by the Dubai Police's Traffic Department has revealed.

The department yesterday launched a pedestrian safety campaign, noting that extensive campaigns against speeding were having an effect.

There have been a large number of accidents in the Al Qouz Industrial Area and on the Emirates and Shaikh Zayed roads, said Lieutenant Colonel Jamal Al Bannai, Head of Monitoring Violations at the Traffic Department.

In 2008, 754 pedestrian accidents took place, of which 106 resulted in fatalities. In 2007, 665 accidents took place, of which 132 claimed lives.

There were 81 accidents on Al Qouz Industrial Road in 2008, of which eight were fatal. Emirates Road had 26 accidents, of which 14 were deadly, and Shaikh Zayed Road had 23 accidents, with a death toll of 12.

"It has been brought to our attention that labourers are among the most affected by road accidents, with Indians and Pakistanis dominating the death toll," he said.

In 2007, 358 Indians were killed as a result of pedestrian accidents compared to 382 in 2008. In 2007, 111 Pakistanis were involved in pedestrian fatalities compared to 113 in 2008.

The pedestrian safety campaign will run until the end of the year, with the department planning to hold a number of seminars at labour camps during weekends to educate labourers about the importance of using designated pedestrian crossings, among other precautions.

"It is a violation to cross in undesignated areas, especially on a road that has a speed of limit above 80 kilometres per hour. The fine for such a violation is Dh200," Al Bannai said.

"Busy roads like Shaikh Zayed Road and Emirates Road require a number of solutions, such as buses to transport people to the other side of the road and the construction of pedestrian bridges and subways," he said.

The first phase of the campaign will target 100 companies in Dubai, with each having around 1,000 workers.

I always use the pedestriain crossing. But, in Dubai the main problem is that 90% of drivers never stop the vehicle even when they see some one half way through the crossing . This always makes a lot of confusion for the people crossing. Specially in Deira.
Rafi Mathews
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 10, 2009, 09:35

I usually cross a road at Al Nahda and you know what? there is no foot bridge or some safety for the residents or workers. We just have to run betweeen the speeding cars, and the speed limit is 100kph.
Nafis Sakhani
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 10, 2009, 09:21

In Sharjah, the pedestrains are the most neglected . Here, crossing the road is very very tough and risky. No importance is given to people crossing the road. It take hours to cross a road and it is risky, too. Authorities should construct underpasses or pedestrain overbriges at certain intervals.
Anil Kurup
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 10, 2009, 08:44

What about the other side of this story? The one that tells of cars very rarely stopping to allow pedestrians to cross at designated areas? Only once has a car stopped to allow me to cross when walking through Abu Dhabi. Yet on the police website it states that pedestrians have the right of way. Uh?
Rachel
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 10, 2009, 08:31

There is a lack of pedestrian crossings. Underpasses are not clean and not safe, youngsters are using them to play cricket and football. The department needs to make the cleanliness and safety to cross round the clock. like western countries, we can introduce escalators or similar safe systems.
Unni
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 10, 2009, 08:03

Sorry to say this , even crossings at traffic lights is dangerous, if its diffcult to edcucate drivers then people must be edcuated to cross only when they notice that all traffic has come to a standstill. Once there was an incident were I had a close one at a traffic light.
Michael
Calgary,Canada
Posted: February 10, 2009, 00:00

While driving on Al Ittihad Road, a woman just crossed the road in front of me. I was driving at 80 kilometres per hour so I had to take a sharp turn to avoid her. Luckily, neither me nor her got injured. Pedestrians should be educated on the dangers of crossing the road.
Shane
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 09, 2009, 16:24