Dubai: Police departments across the UAE are studying a proposal to unify speed limits and margins across UAE roads.
Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director — the Federal traffic Council and directors of Traffic Departments in the UAE and representatives of relevant government departments and bodies in the field of traffic and roads, discussed having similar speed limits and speed margins on all roads in the country or cancelling the margins.
The meeting was held at the Dubai Police Officers Club last Thursday, officials said on Tuesday.
“We discussed the issue of having a speed limit on all roads in the UAE and cancellation of speed margins in the UAE. We decided to give this matter more time for further detailed and comprehensive consideration, in order to identify how much it helps reduce traffic accidents,” Maj Gen Al Zafein said.
Dubai, for example has a sped margin of 20km/h on all roads, while Abu Dhabi abolished the margin last month. On August 12, Abu Dhabi Police removed the 20km/h speed buffer that motorists have always taken for granted. The amended speed limits no longer include the 20km/h speed buffer. For example, if a road has a speed limit of 80km/h, drivers no longer have a speed buffer up to 100km/h. Those caught driving even at 81km/h are now caught on radars and receive a fine. In an earlier statement, Major General Mohammad Khalfan Al Rumaithi, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, said a comprehensive study was undertaken before deciding to implement the new system to help raise road safety standards.
The council reviewed and amended the clauses of a number of articles in the Federal Traffic Law, discussing some of the provisions and definitions related to the law alongside a number of topics concerning the Traffic Death Index nationwide.
Meanwhile, members of the council were briefed on the road traffic mortality index in the UAE, which indicated a decline by 8 per cent in the country’s death rate from January to August 26 this year, and the most common causes of traffic deaths nationwide.
Maj-Gen Al Zafein hailed the major role and great efforts undertaken by traffic and patrols directorates in the UAE to maintain traffic discipline, in order to reduce the death rate on all roads, and maintaining road security.
“This is considered to be the main goal for traffic and patrols directorates. Combining our efforts will reduce traffic deaths,” he said.
He also highlighted the importance of raising awareness by ensuring traffic safety and achieving the strategic goals of traffic and patrols directorates in the UAE, consisting of lowering traffic accidents and limiting the death rate.
■ The council discussed a new project to install a control device inside the cars of young drivers’ with new driver licences in a bid to monitor their behaviour on the roads. The project suggested to install the device for a period of two years starting from the date of them obtaining their driver licence.
