Careless driving cited for rise in fiery crashes

Dubai: Five people have been killed in separate traffic incidents in 24 hours, with three burning to death in a horrific crash yesterday.

Three people, believed to be two Colombians and an Omani, burnt to death in a collision on the Dubai-Al Ain road.

A driver, believed to be Omani, was speeding in his four-wheel drive when he lost control and rammed into a car (carrying the other victims) which was parked on the shoulder ahead of the sixth interchange on the Dubai-Al Ain road. The accident took place at about 11am.

"The strong impact tossed the vehicles 98.1 metres before the three victims were burnt completely. The suspected Omani driver seems to have been fatigued, sleepy or was busy with something inside his vehicle when he lost control and rammed the other car. Investigations are ongoing to identify the victims and the causes," Salah Bu Farousha, Head of the Traffic Public Prosecution, told Gulf News two hours after the accident.

No braking signs

The impact pushed the vehicles from the right-hand lane into the hard shoulder of the road before they were burnt completely, he explained.

Preliminary investigations showed that the driver of the four-wheel drive wasn't paying attention as he did not try to brake but rammed into the other vehicle, Bu Farousha revealed to Gulf News.

The Head of Traffic Public Prosecution called on motorists to refrain from parking their cars in a dangerous manner on shoulders of roads, especially on highways, without using warning lights.

In an accident on Saturday, a Russian woman driver ran over a man who was trying to cross Emirates Road.

In a separate accident on Saturday, a motorcyclist was killed as he was speeding and riding his motorbike recklessly. As a result, he lost control and his motorbike skidded near Al Khawaneej Roundabout on the road toward Sharjah.

Third fatal accident in about 10 days

Meanwhile, Dubai recorded its third major accident involving more than three casualties in about 10 days. In the first accident, a minibus swerved on Emirates Road and seven workers from Thailand who had just arrived were killed on the spot.

The second accident happened in a Karama tunnel when a speeding car hit the kerb and overturned.

The car exploded in flames and burnt within 90 seconds, killing five men in it.

The government needs better enforcement on the streets and on the freeways. They should deploy squad cars on every street block. This will not only be a visual deterrent, but will also help speed up emergency responses.
Iffy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 08, 2007, 10:38

It is clear that careless and dangerous driving is behind all accidents. How many more people have to be killed on roads that we realise it is time to take a serious action against those who have no respect for the law?
Hassan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 08, 2007, 09:43

I am reading articles on accidents, safe driving tips, increased fines etc. etc. on the newspaper almost everyday. Unfortunately, none seems to have any effect on the driving habits of UAE drivers. I think the police should introduce highway patrols, otherwise nobody will care about road rules.
Subhash
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 08, 2007, 08:48

The traffic problems here will never be solved unless people are taught how to drive correctly. The driving tests here need to be much harder for all, not the selected few. Also, young people should not be allowed to drive powerful cars since they tend to speed.
Linda
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 08, 2007, 08:26

Pick-up trucks and buses should not be allowed on the fast lanes on Shaikh Zayed Road, especially in the morning rush hours to avoid accidents and traffic jams.
Regi
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 08, 2007, 07:47

It is very pathetic that our drivers still don't learn lessons from these unfortunate incidents. The police should get the public to help them by getting them to send photos of the offenders with their licence plate clear in the photos. This will help drivers stick to the road rules since they will be wary of other people keeping an eye on them.
Usha
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: October 08, 2007, 07:30

Careless driving that causes traffic congestions and horrific accidents has become part of daily life. We get out from home having hope only in God that we will return back safe. Something serious has to be done to prevent such things from happening in the future.
Imran
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 08, 2007, 07:11