1,339 accidents, 8 deaths in RAK during Ramadan

Ras Al Khaimah - Speeding is to be blamed for most of the accidents reported in the northern emirate, particularly the most deadly or fatal ones

Shorter work hours and careless driving have seen up to 1,339 accidents in Ras Al Khaimah during Ramadan.
Eight people were killed in these mishaps, in spite of RAK police's repeated warnings to observe traffic regulations, particularly the speed limit. According to Col Nasser Yusuf, manager of RAK police's operations department, 1,318 of the total accidents were minor mishaps. "However, eight people were killed and 19 others were seriously injured in the other 21 road accidents," he said.
Speeding is to be blamed for most of the accidents reported in the northern emirate, particularly the most deadly or fatal ones, according to traffic reports and filed studies.
Irresponsible callers to be dealt with
"On the dedicated emergency number, Ras Al Khaimah police received disturbing and non-relevant calls. There were 7,002 calls to 999, of which were 1,870 inquiries and 1,145 complaints."
Specific challenges faced by the police in responding to these calls included the caller's inability to identify the exact accident location.
"Apart from these, there are irrelevant and irresponsible calls made by people, that disturb the department's functioning. There may be intentional or unintentional, and are dealt with accordingly."
Yusuf warned that people making repeated calls that disturbed police operations would be faced with legal action.
"The RAK Police has dedicated two phone numbers for inquiries and non-urgent issues - 072356600 and 072356611 - and 999 may only be dialed in case of emergency and important reports," he said.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• Ramadan News
• Ras Al Khaimah