Police have installed around two-dozen radar cameras on the Dubai-Al Ain highway to maintain traffic discipline on this busy artery linking the two cities.

The cameras will help the police in monitoring traffic and will also deter speeding and recklessness.

Though these cameras have not as yet been made operational and no official announcement has so far been made by Al Ain Traffic Police Department, drivers on the highway are already watchful and driving within speed limits.

The cameras will be installed in the areas starting from Hili Fun City Roundabout on Dubai-Al Ain highway and continue till Al Faqah, an area between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

"I have counted 22 cameras that have been put inside metal boxes with protective covers on," said Manoj Shetty, a van driver who daily shuttles between Al Ain and Dubai.

He said reckless drivers play havoc, especially on weekends, on this busy highway which has witnessed many accidents in the past.

"I believe all public transport drivers are driving with care and respecting speed limits. The main violators are the youngsters who mostly drive four-wheel-drives and luxury cars at a high speed," he added.

Gulraiz Khan, another daily user of the highway, said many times he has seen private cars speeding and driving recklessly on this highway.

There used to be cameras on this road – but most of them were broken by drivers who use this highway for their stunts, he said.

"I appreciate the installation of cameras here, but I urge the police to protect them from damage at the hands of some wicked drivers," he noted.

The cameras automatically detect a speeding vehicle and take photographs of it. They also collect date, time and location, sending it back to the control room.

Experts believe reckless driving habits have made the UAE roads a danger zone. Though traffic accidents are the nineth largest cause of death in the world, they are one of the two major causes of death in the UAE. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi tops the list for the worst accidents in the country.

According to a recently announced scientific survey in the UAE, some 23.6 per cent of adult nationals have reported having met with an accident. A significant majority of them are males.

The Health Safety and Lifestyle Survey, which was conducted by a team of doctors and experts at the UAE University, also reported that nationals between the age of 30 and 44 are most prone.

The survey also disclosed that more than a quarter of local adults have reported having met with an accident in the last year.