DUBAI // The number of people killed in road accidents in the emirate has fallen by a third after measures were taken to improve traffic awareness and infrastructure.
The death toll dropped to 153 last year from 225 in 2009, transport officials announced yesterday.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) installed pedestrian crossings, bridges and radars, and shut down dangerous junctions at more than 30 black spots to improve road safety, it said. A police campaign to reduce road fatalities was also a factor. "Road traffic safety levels targeted by traffic safety procedures have hit in some cases 92 per cent," said Maitha bin Udai, the chief executive of the RTA's traffic and roads agency. "The safety measures taken by the RTA were not restricted to the main and arterial roads, but also included safety requirements near 247 schools at 56 districts across Dubai."
Improved markings helped avoid fatal accidents over the past two years near school zones, residential and industrial areas such as Jumeirah 3, Al Quoz 1 and Al Barsha 2, Ms bin Udai said.
Apart from the Emirates Road, major accident zones have included the Jebel Ali-Al Hebab Road, Dubai Bypass Road, Al Wasl Road and the Floating Bridge intersection. The number of incidents at these locations were markedly reduced last year, the figures showed. The number of fatal accidents fell from 16 in 2009 to eight last year at the Dubai Bypass, and from 16 to one at the Jebel Ali-Al Hebab road after speed cameras and extra signs were installed.
Road modifications at the Floating Bridge intersection cut injuries there to four last year from 49 in 2009. Fatalities on Al Wasl Road fell from three in 2009 to one last year.
The improvement came amid a Dubai police campaign launched in 2010 to make the city's roads safer by increasing road patrols and aiming for a zero death rate per 100,000 inhabitants by 2020.