Teenagers cause fewest fatal road accidents in Dubai

Dubai: Teenagers cause the fewest number of fatal road accidents in Dubai, according to a senior traffic police officer.

Statistics released by Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of Dubai Police Traffic Department show most people were killed by drivers in their late 20s or over 50-years-old.

He added that just three fatalities in the third quarter of 2008 and 2009 were caused by people aged from 18-20.

The figures also reveal that more than Dh1bn was collected in traffic fines in the first nine months of 2009. In 2009 the figure stood at around Dh550 million for the entire year.

Drivers aged between 26-30 caused 14 fatalities in the third quarter of 2008, with the figure for this year currently standing at six.

“People would assume that major road accidents are caused by youngsters but actually they are the least people in causing road fatalities,” said Maj. Gen Al Zafein, who said he opposes raising the driving license permit from 18 to 21.

People above 50 caused eight road fatalities in the third quarter of 2009 and were responsible for 12 deaths in the same period during 2008.

Overall there is a three per cent decline in road accidents and 24.3 per cent decline in fatalities in the first eight months of this year in comparison to 2008.

Most major road fatalities and accidents happen on the Emirates and Shaikh Zayed roads but both witnessed a drop this year compared to last year - with two road fatalities reported in the third quarter of 2009 compared to six in the same period of 2008.

However, the situation on the Dubai-Hatta and Al Khaleej roads is not improving.

This year the traffic department registered three deaths in Dubai-Hatta road and two on Al Khaleej, compared to zero the year before.