Driver caught speeding at 264 kmph on UAE road

Ras Al Khaimah - Five others were caught speeding at over 200kmph.

A young driver was nabbed after he was found zipping through the emirate's roads at 264kmph - the top speed registered at RAK's radars. Five other motorists, who were also driving at speeds of over 200kmph, were caught.
Col Ahmad Al Sam Al Naqbi, director of the traffic and patrols department, RAK Police, said the reckless drivers were detected by the fixed and mobile radars set up across all the highways of the emirate.
"The top speed caught by the RAK Police radars was for a young motorist driving at a speed of 264kmph." The other five drivers registered speeds of 247kmph, 244kmph, 243kmph, 232kmph and 222kmph, the officer said.
By comparison, such driving speeds are about five times faster than the Dubai Metro. And four of them have gone beyond the speed of the fastest roller coaster in the world - Ferrari World's Formula Rossa runs at 240kmph. These reckless driving incidents took place on Manei Road, the Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, the Khalifa Road, Al Ghail Road, the Sheikh Zayed Road and RAK International Airport Road, he added.
"Despite repetitive warnings about speeding being the cause of most of the deadly accidents in the emirate, some drivers, particularly the youth, don't listen," said Col Al Naqbi. Speeding is blamed for some 85 per cent of the deadliest accidents in the emirate, according to the latest traffic report.
A few days ago, the RAK Police caught a driver who had racked up fines of Dh1.2 million. Col Waleed Mohammed Juma, chief of the Maamura police station, said the 23-year-old Emirati driver, has been involved in 1,251 traffic violations. "He was booked 1,200 times for speeding, including one in which he was driving at a speed of 200kmph."
Speeding poses serious risks not only to the driver and passengers on board, but to all road users, Col Naqbi said. "Most speeding drivers lose control over the steering wheel, veer off the road, and flip over several times."
Two weeks ago, four teenagers died in a tragic accident that was attributed to speeding. A 21-year-old Emirati was also killed on the RAK ring road for the same reason.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• Ras Al Khaimah