21 pedestrians killed crossing Dubai roads so far this year

Road safety: Twenty one people have died so far this year in Dubai after being run over trying to cross the road.

Dubai Police said there has been dozens of injuries to pedestrians trying to cross the road so far this year. Jaime Puebla / The National

Twenty-one pedestrians have died trying to cross roads in Dubai this year.

Maj Gen Mohammed Saif Al Zaffin, director of the Dubai Police traffic department, said that in the first five months of this year there were 166 accidents with 154 people being injured, 22 seriously.

Gen Al Zaffin said 131 of those injured were male and 104 of the accidents occurred in daylight hours. He added that jaywalkers would be fined Dh200.

Gen Al Zaffin blamed the high number of accidents involving pedestrians on poor knowledge of traffic rules and crossing roads at unsuitable areas.

The traffic department has run several awareness campaigns focusing mainly on Asian workers living in industrial zones, where there is a higher concentration of accidents.

Companies have a responsibility to educate their employees about traffic regulations and to provide them with transport to limit accidents, Gen Al Zaffin said.

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