No compromise on vehicle safety

Dubai: Traffic authorities should ensure all vehicles meet safety standards following an incident in which five people were burnt to death.

Salah Bu Farousha, Head of the Traffic Public Prosecution, called on traffic authorities to ensure and improve safety standards in certain cars (especially those imported into the country) to give rescuers more time to save lives.

Five people were burnt to death on Tuesday and were suspected to be trapped in the car due to the automatic lock which activated on impact.

The accident took place near the entrance of Al Karama tunnel connecting Shaikh Rashid Road to Shaikh Zayed Road.

The driver of the car was said to be speeding and as a result he hit the side pavement of the tunnel. The car turned over, caught fire and was totally gutted. Police officials told Gulf News that investigations are still ongoing.

Automatic lock

Bu Farousha said it is not so much the automatic lock as much as the car's paint which should have had a better quality of insulation substances to prevent the fire spreading fast.

He said primary investigations have shown that the paint of the gutted car was of poor quality, hinting that rescuers could have had more time to save the victims who also could have had more time to exit the car.

"In general, cars should have a better quality of paint containing insulation materials besides the fact that the car body should also contain insulation materials to prevent the fire spreading fast to the passengers' seats," he elaborated.

"We had a similar accident in Al Khawaneej area where an Indian family of four was burnt to death due to the poor quality of insulation substances in the paint and electric circuit," he said.

Bu Farousha said in Tuesday's accident one of the five passengers who was seated behind the driver's seat was found outside the car after he attempted to save himself by pulling himself out. "It took 60 to 90 seconds for the car to get completely gutted by the fire," he said.

Bu Farousha did not completely exclude the fact that the automatic lock reduced the victim's chances of saving themselves. He said: "We cannot prove it so far and we have to wait for the technical report which will reveal the exact cause of the accident."

"We have asked for DNA tests to identify the victims and we will be contacting their families to collect the blood money in case there is insurance. We are also investigating whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol or not," he said.

In such accidents, he said, there will not be any lawsuit, especially since the driver was killed however the victims' successors will have their rights preserved.

According to Bu Farousha, in the past three months the percentage of deaths caused in car accidents has increased 30 per cent.

"The death toll has surprisingly risen during July, August and September this year. Meanwhile, during the first half of this year, the percentage had declined by 50 per cent," he said. He pointed out that in 2006, there was an average of one death caused in a traffic accident every 30 hours.

Have your say
Do you think cars older than 10 years are a safety hazard? Should registration of older cars involve more stringent measures? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the comments form below.

Reckless driving, over speeding, drunken drivers, not following the traffic rules: Unsafe driving practices are the main reasons for the increase in fatal accidents. If these elements are controlled then accidents can be considerably reduced.
Shaikh
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: October 05, 2007, 17:03

No they should not be removed but they must be maintained properly. Vehicles more than 20-years-old should be removed.
Shailesh
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: October 05, 2007, 16:05

I don't think but am more than sure that the best quality of cars are the ones more than 10 years old. First they have less electrics to cause short circuits, less fuel pipes running along, stronger bodies, and impact resistant (the newer cars just crush inwards to reduce impact force but create a chance for fire and being crushed completely). I think that the newer cars are much cheaper in quality too.
Ramin
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 05, 2007, 15:07

I think the attitude and experience of the driver is much more important that the condition of the car.
Ben
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 05, 2007, 14:32

I think these accidents happen mainly with the second hand cars which are sold for cheaper prices. I feel that cars should be condemned after a period of year and should not be allowed to sell in seconds.
Uma
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 05, 2007, 13:21

Safety standards given by law and recurring technical inspections as a condition to use a car on public roads do really make sense to me. Sure it's quite annoying for each car owner as the car needs an inspection for example every two years, but each person on the road will be more safe including the car owner himself.
Sven
Hamburg,Germany
Posted: October 05, 2007, 12:31

This issue is about the car's age but how well it is maintained. Perhaps cars over 10 years old should have a safety inspection every six months.
Paul
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 05, 2007, 09:04

As long as a car is properly maintained and not abused, it can still be road-worthy for more than 10 years.
Audie
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 05, 2007, 07:33

Authorities to look into unauthorized modifications to vehicles and engines and also consider tackling non-qualified mechanics and electricians working in garages.
Karkain
Dubai,UAE
Posted: October 05, 2007, 06:52

The drivers are to be blamed. Why they do not adhere to the traffic rules? There are so many proper traffic rules in the country but a proper law enforcement is missing.
Peetz
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: October 05, 2007, 06:05

Wires and cables in old cars tend to loosen up, which does not make them entirely safe to use.
Cielo
Cebu,Philippines
Posted: October 05, 2007, 02:24