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Motorists involved in accidents told to move their vehicles

AJMAN — Old habits die hard and this seems to be the case with motorists in Ajman who continue to leave their vehicles right in the middle of the road when they meet with an accident, ignoring the safety rule that had been issued earlier in this regard by the Ajman Traffic and Licensing Department.

The motorists’ reluctance to move their vehicles to one side of the road has been leading to a needless build-up of traffic and is often the cause of other accidents taking place as drivers try to serve out the way of the stationary cars.

The accidents, according to an Ajman police official, have often resulted in severe casualties that could have been easily avoided had the cars been moved to one side.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Major Saeed Al Matroushi, Head of the Traffic and Accidents Section of the department, said that the department had recently organised a safety campaign to curb this frustrating practice as part of its ongoing safety programme. The awareness campaign is being held under the slogan “Traffic Safety is Collective Responsibility”.

The aim of this concerted drive is to minimise traffic accidents in the emirate.

Major Al Matroushi added that during this campaign the patrolling traffic officers had distributed safety publications, pamphlets and other leaflets to the motorists driving in the emirate to remind them of the rules. Many awareness lectures too have been conducted at various locations of the emirate to educate the public about the negative consequences of keeping the cars involved in accidents in the middle of the road.

Regular announcements have also made on Ajman Radio to raise awareness among drivers to give up this practice and ensure that they abide by the safety regulations.

“As part of this campaign, the department has also deployed additional traffic patrols on the main roads to regulate the traffic flow and ensure motorists adhere to the rules,” he noted.

Major Al Matroushi said that the department was planning on conducting several lectures at all schools in Ajman, at various companies and other public and private establishments to remind people of the importance of following safety instructions.

He admitted that there has been an excessive violation of traffic rules, of late. Other reasons for the accidents are the sharp increase in the number of vehicles and the population, expansion of road networks and abuse of roads by motorists and pedestrians.

Major Al Matroushi has in a call urged all drivers to conform to the traffic rules and regulations that are in force and avoid committing traffic offences that may result, not only in fines, but also in black points which, if accumulated, can lead to the suspension of the driving licence of errant motorists. In some cases, he warned, harsher penalties could be slapped on erring motorists.

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