Dubai: 1 dead, 5 injured in horrific accident caused by tailgating

One driver died and five others sustained injuries in a multiple-vehicle crash on the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road in Dubai on Thursday morning, according to the police.

The accident — reportedly caused by tailgating — involved two trucks and four light vehicles.

The drivers failed to maintain a safe distance from each other, causing a truck to collide with a bus in front of it. Then, it crashed into another truck loaded with cement and bricks, leading to a major congestion on the road, said Major-General Saif Muhair Al Mazrouei, director of the General of Traffic Department.

"We deployed our patrols after receiving a report that a major accident between two trucks and four light vehicles occurred on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road after Al Rashidiya Bridge," he added.

Maj-Gen Al Mazrouei noted that tailgating — or failing to keep a safe distance between vehicles — is one of the most common causes of traffic accidents.

"Since the beginning of the year, the department has recorded 538 accidents due to tailgating violations, which caused the death of 10 people and left 367 injured," he said.

He pointed out that the penalty for tailgating is a Dh400 fine and four traffic black points.

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