Wrong overtaking main cause of fatalities on the road

Abu Dhabi: Wrong overtaking has proved to be one of the main causes of fatal traffic accidents said traffic officials.

In 2007, at least 233 deaths and 93 accidents were recorded in the country because of wrong overtaking and 19,458 traffic fines were issued for this offence alone.

“Sudden crossing of lanes to overtake another vehicle is the major cause of accidents'', said Colonel Hamad Adil Al Shamsi, the Director of the Department of Traffic and patrol police, at a press conference yesterday to announce the campaign.

Explaining some of the common mistakes, Al Shamsi said that overtaking on the hard shoulder is a very dangerous practice. Not only does the limited space and rough surface increase the risks of an accident, there might be another parked vehicle in the area are the driver could run into this car.

According to official statistics, in 2006, 4202 accidents were recorded in Abu Dhabi while in 2007, the number of accidents rose to 4429. While 265 people lost their lives in 2006 in the capital, 359 lives were lost in 2007. The number of injuries increased from 2490 in 2006 to 2623 in 2007.

Tips while overtaking

Assure visibility of road and vehicles in front before overtaking.
Make sure that no other vehicle is overtaking at the same time.
Use flash lights to indicate your intention before overtaking.
Look for the traffic signs and make sure over taking is allowed.