Accidents cause 2 hour delays, traffic jams in Dubai, Sharjah

Dubai: The first day of the week saw major traffic jams and heavy delays as a number of traffic accidents affected commuters travelling into Dubai on Sunday.

During the morning rush hour, from 7-9am, an accident was reported on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road near Dubai Silicon Oasis, which caused tailbacks towards the city of Dubai.

At 8.39am, Dubai Police said heavy traffic was building up on Sheikh Zayed Road due to accident near the World Trade Centre Roundabout, which led to delays of over one hour as motorists crawled their way through until the Al Hadiqa interchange near Safa Park.

Within 40 minutes, another accident was reported on Ras Al Khor Street in the direction towards Jebel Ali, resulting in further delays.

Police cautioned motorists to drive with caution and to follow traffic rules by adhering to the speed limit and not to gawk at accidents.

As the busy roads piled up with vehicles, Abu Dhabi Police issued an advisory message for parents to ensure their child’s safety while taking them to school.

Abu Dhabi Police also called on parents to slow down and be careful while driving, and to exercise caution when entering and exiting school zones. Motorists were warned to give way to school buses, allow pupils the right of way at zebra crossings and to not speed in school zones, otherwise, irresponsible motorists may face fines or black points.

Failure to follow the stop sign of school buses will lead to a Dh1,000 fine and 10 black points, according to the UAE’s Federal Traffic Law, which came into effect on July 1, 2017. The law also includes a fine of Dh500 and 6 black points against school bus drivers who fail to open the stop sign.