Run-over accidents drop by 20%

The number of pedestrian deaths in Abu Dhabi has gone down by 20.7% during the first nine months of this year, compared to the same period last year.

The Committee for Reducing Pedestrian Deaths in the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrol Directorate, in its meeting held at the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrol Directorate, said that 46 deaths were reported from January 1 to September 31, compared to 58 deaths during the same period last year.

The meeting, chaired by Colonel Hamad Mubarak Al Ameri, Director-General of the Capital Police Traffic Department of the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrol Directorate, was attended by directors of the Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Western Region and the Peripheral Areas traffic department.

During the meeting, the committee indicated that the achieved results come in line with the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic safety Strategy to make roads safer, and complement last year’s efforts, which decreased run-over accidents by 20 per cent compared with 2010.

Moreover, the committee reviewed the statistics indicators of run-over accidents for the past nine months, which shed light on the main reasons behind run-over fatalities, chiefly, negligence; lack of attention; failure to give priority to pedestrians crossing; misjudgment of road users; speeding; failure to take road conditions into account, and reversing without ensuring the road is clear.

Statistics also indicated that 65 per cent of pedestrian fatalities occur among Asians, and up to 32 per cent of run-over accidents happen in the morning period, compared with 30 per cent in the evening, while 22 per cent of run-over accidents occur around noon and 16 per cent in the afternoon.

The committee reviewed the progress in building 17 new pedestrian footbridges inside and outside the city of Abu Dhabi.

The Municipality of Abu Dhabi City is in charge of constructing 10 of these footbridges, the other seven are being constructed by the Department of Transport. Locations for these new pedestrian footbridges were identified based on traffic studies, to meet the needs of high-traffic in areas experiencing frequent pedestrians accidents.

The committee also reviewed the engineering efforts to improve pedestrian crossings in the city, through 10 new pedestrian crosswalks controlled by traffic lights inside the city of Abu Dhabi.

Two of these crosswalks have already been completed on Delma Street and facing the Preventive Medicine Department in Abu Dhabi. Moreover, the committee reviewed the ongoing efforts to close the gaps in the walls on both sides of pedestrian tunnels, and installing fences on the various roads.

The committee also shed light on the efforts exerted through the Traffic Control campaigns in the cities of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region, aimed to reduce pedestrian crossing from non-designated locations, according to the Federal Traffic Law.