UAE safety: Ajman road deaths dropped 45% in 2020

Ajman - Fewer minor accidents were recorded in the emirate last year, compared with 2019.

The number of deaths from serious traffic accidents in Ajman dropped by 45 per cent in 2020, compared with the previous year, the emirate’s police said on Wednesday.

Brigadier Khaled Mohammad Al Nuaimi, deputy director-general of police operations at Ajman Police, added that fatal run-over accidents had gone down by 33 per cent, from 15 deaths in 2019 to 10 last year.

Minor accidents, in general, had dropped 19 per cent — from 36,613 in 2019 to 29,744 in 2020. Run-over accidents were nearly halved, from 79 to 44.

Brig Al Nuaimi pointed out that speeding remained among the top causes of road accidents, along with distracted driving, swerving, wrong overtaking, and tailgating.

The significant decrease in accidents and road deaths, he said, had been achieved through heightened awareness campaigns and deploying artificial intelligence technologies in road monitoring. There had also been a higher number of traffic patrols on streets and highways.

The police are working with the municipality and planning department, too, in enhancing road safety especially for pedestrians.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• Ajman