We must do more to tackle road toll

Pedestrian fatalities have decreased, but the number remains unacceptably high

Installing more pedestrian overpasses is one way to help reduce road fatalities. (Mona Al Marzooqi / The National)

Making our roads safer is a continuing challenge, and any development to that end is very welcome. So it is with the Abu Dhabi Police statistics showing that the number of pedestrians run over and killed last year dropped to 48 from 54 in 2014. But when you consider that the number of pedestrian fatalities still equals to almost one every week – and that the numbers for both 2014 and 2015 combined were higher than for the two previous years – it is clear that there is no cause for complacency, let alone celebration.

The ideal number of road deaths from all causes is, of course, zero. While that may be an unrealistic target, we must be vigilant to ensure that the figure drops consistently year on year, both in real terms and as a percentage of the population.

The authorities are already doing their bit to make our roads ­safer, from installing pedestrian tunnels and overpasses, and putting fences along traffic islands to prevent jaywalking, to fining drivers who fail to stop at crossings or otherwise endanger pedestrians’ lives. However, there is room for more research into accidents and their causes, education campaigns for both motorists and pedestrians, starting at a very young age, and even more vigilance by those policing the roads.

The bottom line is that we are dealing here not just with statistics but with human lives. Every fatality represents a person who was taken too soon: a beloved family member – a mother, father, son or daughter – a good neighbour, a colleague or a confidante. Every death or severe injury tears families and communities apart. We will all be touched by tragedy at some stage in our lives, so the effort to eliminate preventable road deaths falls to us all.

We must all strive to be better drivers and more cautious pedestrians, and we should all support the authorities' efforts to improve the infrastructure – including regional-specific initiatives such as the camel underpass being built in Ras Al Khaimah – and to penalise those who disobey the rules. Nobody has the right to behave in a reckless manner that endangers the lives of others.