• Home

Accident deaths on Dubai roads decline

Engineer Maitha bin Adai, CEO of the Traffic and Roads Agency at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said 193 people died in traffic accidents in the emirate from January to the end of August this year, a dip from the 200 deaths during the same period last year.

“The drop, though modest, is viewed as a substantial progress, particularly if we take into consideration the persistent increase in the number of vehicles, traffic volume and population of Dubai,” said Maitha.

She said most accidents that result in fatalities and serious injuries take place on freeways and highways. Forty-seven per cent of such accidents registered during the period happened on those roads.

“Traffic and Roads Agency is adopting several programmes and plans aimed at reducing the number of fatal accidents, which is currently around 22 per 100,000 residents, to around 17 per 100,000 residents during the next two years,” said Maitha.

The RTA has completed construction of 24 pedestrian crossings to reduce fatalities while the Traffic and Roads Agency has plans to address the dangerous spots, particularly on freeways and highways.

“We have attended to a number of those spots and improved their performance as far as traffic safety is concerned. The agency will soon introduce new concepts involving the latest technologies while designing new roads which will meet the highest safety standards,” she said.

• UAE