Abu Dhabi: Three people were killed and two were left seriously injured in six speed-related accidents that happened in the capital in January alone.
Abu Dhabi police has impounded eleven cars for "driving [at] dangerous speeds" — in excess of 200km an hour in January, officials said yesterday.
One of the cars was impounded for travelling at a shocking 248km an hour along the Abu Dhabi-Sweihan highway, police revealed. A 27-year-old Emirati was behind the wheel, Gulf News has learnt.
The young man was driving the latest model of a luxury sports car that is capable of going up to 320km an hour, an official, who asked not to be named, said. The man was apparently on his way to his workplace in Sweihan.
Asked if the driver was racing his car against another, the official said: "The man was alone in his car and was not found to be racing with another vehicle."
The penalties for such cases include the impoundment of the car for six months and the suspension of the drivers' licence for three months, he added.
"Eleven cars were seized in the month of January for driving dangerously at speeds exceeding 200km an hour," Colonel Engineer Ahmad Hussain Al Harthy, Director of Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols department, said in a statement.
"Three people were killed and two were left seriously injured in six speed-related accidents that happened during the month," he said.
In January, out of the 244,924 traffic violations recorded in the emirate, 184,977 fines were for speeding.
Colonel Al Harthy warned that no leniency would be shown to violators of traffic rules and regulations as "reckless motorists are endangering their own lives as well as lives of other road users".
The impounded vehicles were seized along various highways, which include the Abu Dhabi-Sweihan, Abu Dhabi-Ghwaifat, Abu Dhabi-Dubai and Abu Dhabi-Al Ain highways, he said.
In a bid to curb reckless driving, as many as 45 unmarked police cars were recently introduced to assist regular traffic patrol cars in the emirate.
— With inputs from Abdulla Rasheed, Abu Dhabi Editor
Deadly month
- 11 cars seized for speeding over 200km an hour in January this year.
- 3 killed, two seriously injured in six speed related accidents in January.
- 244,924 traffic violations recorded in the emirate, out of which 184, 977 fines were for speeding in January.
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