Police to install radars to monitor trucks

Dubai Police plan to install mobile radars on the roads to monitor trucks more effectively and reduce offences, said a senior official yesterday.

Colonel Mohammed Saif Al Zafin, Deputy Director of the Traffic Department, said the new radars can measure the speed of trucks and monitor the distance between vehicles and lane discipline.

"These digital laser radars are used in Europe and have contributed to cutting down offences committed by truck drivers and road accidents involving long vehicles. They will improve traffic and security systems in general," he explained.

Awareness campaigns, and dealing strictly with offending truck drivers, reduced the number of accidents involving heavy vehicles to 54 last year from 74 the previous year, said Col. Al Zafin.

He added that deaths caused by heavy vehicles decreased from 17 in 2000 to nine last year. "Minor injuries fell from 63 to 58 and moderate injuries from 26 to 16, while serious injuries remained un-changed during the same period.

"Some 1,561 offences involving heavy vehicles using non-designated roads were reported to Dubai Police from the beginning of this year until June 4. These include 387 offences in Deira and 1,174 in Bur Dubai – an improvement of more than 50 per cent when compared to the same period last year," he said.

"Failing to use reflective stickers fell from 816 offences, during the same period last year, to 296."