Five road deaths in four days of carnage over long weekend

Forty-eight accidents occurred during the National Day public holiday, resulting in 75 injuries

Five deaths were recorded on UAE roads during the four day National Day weekend.

Five people died and 75 were injured on the nation's roads during the four-day holiday from November 30-December 3, according to a report by the Ministry of Interior.

In total, 48 accidents were reported to police during the public holiday.

“Police services doubled their efforts during the extended public holiday, which marked the birth of Prophet Mohammed and the 46th UAE National Day, to ensure the public safety and preserve public and private properties," said Brig Ghaith Hassan Al Zaabi, director general of traffic coordination at the department.

“Traffic awareness campaigns are carried out in cooperation with traffic departments throughout the year, as part of the ministry’s strategic plans to make the country’s streets safer."

It may have been a few days of mayhem, but the latest figures show roads in some parts of the country are getting safer.

In Dubai, crash deaths fell by 133 for the first nine months of 2017 when compared with figures for the same period in 2016.

Dubai Police released the latest traffic related fatalities for 2017, with 396 deaths reported up to October, compared with 529 last year.

Officers have attributed the decline in traffic casualties to the new traffic law, with heavier fines crucial in helping reduce the number of fatal accidents.