The bus crash that claimed the lives of seven people and left 35 others injured in Dubai on Tuesday is yet another tragedy that highlights the importance of road safety. Police said the driver lost control of the passenger bus after a tyre burst, causing it to swerve and collide with a lorry. Once again, something avoidable has caused such serious and tragic loss of life. There will be family and friends in the UAE and abroad mourning today.
Though police and road safety experts continually urge motorists to check their tyres to avoid blowouts, especially when the summer heat kicks in, it is only when such regretful incidents happen that people seem to fully realise the danger. It’s essential that owners and drivers of passenger and commercial vehicles conform to road safety requirements and ensure periodical and comprehensive maintenance of both the vehicle and the tyres, ahead of the strong heat of the summer.
The authorities have repeatedly warned motorists that installing low-quality or counterfeit tyres, which are the main culprits behind tyre punctures, is punishable by vehicle impoundment and a Dh200 fine. Individual responsibility is paramount when it comes to public safety, particularly that of those who are responsible for transporting so many lives.
As The National reported, 49 bus accidents have happened so far in 2017 in Dubai. This is in comparison to 133 bus accidents in 2016, which left 24 people dead and 258 injured. These numbers reflect the need to continue to work towards changing the prevailing driving culture.
Establishing measures and regulations to enforce equivalent norms on passenger buses and commercial vehicles would go a long way. So too would subjecting drivers to identical training, and enforcing similar stringent regulations on matters of safety and maintenance on vehicle owners.
Personal vehicles must be well-maintained, but commercial vehicles are under much greater stress: they are bigger, carry heavier loads and are driven longer and farther. Given the seriousness of the matter, perhaps authorities could set up spot inspections for vehicles, pulling commercial vehicles off the roads to check tyres, suspension, lights and so on. There are relatively simple solutions to these issues; in a country with so many good roads, it is foolish for people to lose their lives over the price of a new tyre.
