A national road safety strategy is being applied by the Ministry of the Interior in an effort to control escalating casualties on the nation's roads.
Around a quarter of all UAE deaths in recent years have been caused by traffic accidents and the figure continues to rise. It means that road accidents are the single biggest killer in the emirates.
Government efforts for improving safety are expected to focus on an enhanced infrastructure, while road users themselves will be asked to apply many new rules and guidelines.
"The ministry has brought a unique approach to this strategy as it has been built from the bottom up," a ministry statement said.
"All government and private agencies have been invited to work together. They will contribute financially and put their effort into implementing this plan."
Recent research shows that, while the number of accidents has decreased on UAE roads, the severity has increased. Reported injuries have risen by 30 per cent and fatalities by 71 per cent. Another worrying trend is a rise in accidents involving pedestrians.
| REGISTERED VEHICLES, POPULATION AND FATALITIES IN THE UAE (1995-2000) | ||||||||
Year | Number of Registered vehicles | Population in Thousands | Vehicle Crashes | Fatalities | Injuries | Crashes per 100,000 Population | Fatalities per 100,000 Population | Injuries per 100,000 Population |
1995 | 428,149 | 2,377 | 18,071 | 563 | 9,820 | 76 | 24 | 41 |
1996** | 453,291 | 2,479 | 16,610 | 358 | 5,278 | 67 | 14 | 21 |
1997 | 463,891 | 2,624 | 11,782 | 619 | 9,504 | 45 | 23 | 36 |
1998 | 539,407 | 2,776 | 11,824 | 646 | 9,481 | 43 | 23 | 34 |
1999 | 575,929 | 2,938 | 10,708 | 661 | 10,567 | 36 | 22 | 36 |
2000 | 673,040 | 3,108 | 10,581 | 673 | 11,116 | 34 | 22 | 36 |
| ** Data does not include injuries and fatalities in Sharjah, Ajman and the city of Abu Dhabi | ||||||||
