Dubai: Dubai Police are urging motorists to slow down and be extra careful when driving on roads especially in the lead-up to iftar.
Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of the Traffic Department, said most of the traffic accidents happen in the minutes before iftar because motorists are in a hurry to reach home to break their fast.
“Many motorists want to reach their homes just before iftar time and because of that, they commit many traffic offences like speeding and cause accidents. Most of the traffic accidents in Ramadan happen shortly before iftar,” Brig Al Mazroui said.
The police warning came after the Ministry of Interior revealed that eight people were killed and 66 others were injured in 48 road accidents that occurred close to iftar time in the first week of Ramadan.
Detailing the number and types of accidents that occurred from May 27 to June 3, the ministry said 30 of the 48 accidents were caused by cars crashing into each other, and another 10 were cars hitting pedestrians.
Of the 66 people who suffered injuries, 10 of them were serious, 31 medium and the rest light.
Police cooperated with charity institutes to distribute 23,040 iftar meals to motorists just before iftar time in the first week of Ramadan.
Dubai Police have chosen junctions witnessing heavy traffic in the city to distribute meals to motorists with assistance from volunteers.
“It is part of our campaign of safe Ramadan. We distribute the meals to drivers minutes before iftar in order to encourage them to slow down and not exceed speed limits to get home. Motorists commit different offences like speeding, driving on the hard shoulder, crossing red signal and not following lane discipline. Such offences can cause fatal accidents and cause damage. Motorists must either leave early for their homes or carry water and dates to break their fast in the car, which is better than causing accidents,” Brig Al Mazroui added.
Police will deploy more patrols around mosques and malls to organise traffic and will also focus on industrial areas like Al Quoz as workers go out in large numbers before and after iftar.
5 most important road safety tips for Ramadan
Be aware of your own limitations
Watch out for other road users potentially with the same limitations
Expect the unexpected — we all must drive defensively
Plan your schedule properly and leave early to avoid the need of rushing and speeding
Always wear your seat belt — Ramadan is a good time to start this habit
Source: RoadSafetyUAE
