Remarkable turnaround for Abu Dhabi roads

Road deaths in Abu Dhabi have decreased by 31 per cent while severe injuries due to traffic accidents dropped by 10 per cent during the first half of this year.

According to Brigadier Hussein Ahmed Al Harithi, Director of Traffic and Patrols Directorate at the Abu Dhabi Police, fatalities in road accidents in the first six months of this year came down to 131 from last year’s 191 in the same period. The number of people sustaining severe injuries also dropped to 131 this year as compared to 197 last year, he told reporters on Thursday.

Deaths among Emiratis dipped by 11 per cent to 42 from 47 last year while pedestrian deaths decreased by 20 per cent to 32 from last year’s 41. Meanwhile, traffic accidents resulting in injuries decreased to 1,085 from 1,180. The police records also showed a drop of 44 per cent in deaths on all external roads, nine per cent in Al Ain and 58 per cent in the Western Region.

Al Harithi said the 37 per cent decrease in the number of accidents in the first half of 2012 is a positive sign of traffic safety and attributed the good results to the “efforts, plans and methods implemented” by the police.

Police figures also showed a 60 per cent decrease in the number of deaths on the Abu Dhabi-Sila-Hamim roads, and a 44 per cent drop on the top ten most dangerous roads of the emirate. These are despite the 16 per cent increase in the number of registered vehicles and 22 per cent rise in the number of drivers. Another positive result highlighted by Al Harithi was the 21 per cent decrease in the traffic accidents caused by speeding. The undesirable aspects noticed in the period are being studied to develop effective solutions to avoid them in the second half of the year. These include an increase in the number of traffic accidents caused by motorists who jumped the red signal and failure to give priority to pedestrians in designated locations.

Al Harithi pointed out that automated speed-control devices are currently being installed at road intersections to monitor red-light crossing and speeding.

“Among the negative phenomena, we also witnessed an increase in traffic accidents due to the failure to leave a safe distance between vehicles and a high incidence of accidents involving motorists with only three to five years of (driving) experience. Such problems are being addressed in collaboration with the Emirates Driving Company.”

The directorate is very keen to improve the levels of traffic safety to reach the “Vision Zero and Traffic Safety” by 2030, he added.

olivia@khaleejtimes.com