_resources1_16a30b2e660_medium.jpg)
Sharjah: Road deaths fell in 2018, but work remains to be done to reduce traffic fatalities even further, said senior police officers on Tuesday.
Major General Saif Mohammad Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, told media at the conference that traffic deaths have dipped last year due to police efforts.
“The issue of traffic safety is attracting more attention than before as it is a part of the Ministry of Interior strategy,” said Major General Al Shamsi. “We are intensifying our efforts to enhance traffic safety in the emirate and reduce fatal accident as well as the death rate.”
Colonel Dr Ahmad Saeed Al Naour, Director of Central Operations said the number of fatalities from traffic accidents decreased by 21 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017 with a difference of 22 deaths
Last year, traffic accidents resulted in 83 deaths, while 105 people died in such accidents in 2017.
Meanwhile, the police recorded 1,467,861 traffic violations in 2018 compared to 1,826,666. The number of traffic violations decreased by 358,805.
The police launched 13 traffic campaigns last year which helped bring down the number of accidents [including collision, run over accidents and overturning]. Death by run over accidents also decreased by 25 per cent, with as many as 30 deaths recorded in 2018 compared to 40 deaths in 2017.
Overall, road accidents decreased by 14 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017 with difference of 70 accidents.
A total of 445 accident were recorded in 2018 [including hit, collision and overturning] compared to 515 accidents in 2017.
During an interaction on Tuesday, senior police officials, including, Major-General Al Shamsi; Brigadier Abdullah Mubarak Bin Amer, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; and Brigadier Mohammad Rashid Bayat, director of operations, Brigadier Khalifa Mohammad Al Merri, Deputy Director General of Resources and Support Services, Colonel Al Naour and Colonel Arif Bin Hudaib, head of Media and Public Relations Department, briefed the media on the police force’s performance last year.
Major General Al Shamsi said media plays a key role in achieving security, stability and peace in the country.
The achievement were attributed to an internal strategy of ensuring road safety to reduce road deaths, increasing the number of traffic patrols working round the clock to 66, launching more awareness campaigns and distributing larger number of informative materials through all media outlets.
The traffic department’s increased awareness programmes and campaigns targeted more than 232,716 people across Sharjah, including pedestrians crossing from non-designated areas.
