Ras Al Khaimah: An Emirati woman is safe and sound after a harrowing highway incident in Ras Al Khaimah.
Traffic police saved the life of the 22-year-old woman whose cruise control failed while she was driving her sports utility vehicle at a speed of 120km/h on Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road on the way to Ras Al Khaimah, according to Ras Al Khaimah Police.
Police said the incident happened on Monday evening.
There have been as many as half-a-dozen incidents of malfunctioning cruise control devices in vehicles in the last two years that required police assistance.
The Emirati woman realised she could not slow down and called the police.
Brigadier Ganem Ahmad Ganem, Director-General of the Central Operations Room at Ras Al Khaimah Police, said, “We received the report from Umm Al Quwain Police saying that the vehicle would be entering RAK borders and needed help.”
Two police patrols, one from Ras Al Khaimah Police and the other from Umm Al Quwain Police, responded quickly to meet the racing vehicle.
When they located her speeding vehicle, they manoeuvred their police vehicles in front of the 4WD and allowed it to gently collide with their vehicles and then slow gradually until all three vehicles stopped, Brigadier Ganem said
The woman’s vehicle sustained slight damage from the front while police patrol vehicles sustained damage from the back.
The woman was taken to Umm Al Quwain Hospital to check her condition as a safety measure.
Brigadier Ganem said the incident was the third of its kind in the emirate. “We have noticed that the cruise failure problem has been happening in different kinds of vehicles, especially brand new cars,” he said.
Brigadier Ganem said that motorists should not rely purely on cruise control and if they wish to use it they should drive at lower speeds, especially on highways.
He said motorists should inspect their vehicles frequently.
“Motorists should keep a safe speed while driving and fasten their seat belts and be alert to anything that could happen on the road and contact the police operations emergency room immediately in case of any issues,” he said.
