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Three people were killed in road crashes in Sharjah during the National Day holiday as police in the emirate fielded more than 15,000 emergency calls from the public during the long weekend.
A driver and passenger lost their lives in a two-car collision on the Al Dhaid-Sharjah Road while an Emirati man died in a second smash in Al Bahamas, in central Sharjah.
Colonel Ali Bu Alzoud, of Sharjah Police, said they were the only major traffic accidents to occur during the extended break - but both proved deadly.
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"Speeding, sudden swerving and falling to leave sufficient distance were the main causes of both accidents," he said.
Col Alzoud said 15,851 calls were made to the force's emergency number from Thursday, November 29 until Monday, December 3 - up more than 2,000 on the same period last year.
He urged drivers to take care on the roads and stick to traffic safety rules and laws.
“I call on drivers to avoid wrong practices while driving, be more attentive when approaching intersections, and make sure that the street is free of pedestrians, especially in pedestrian crossing areas and residential neighborhoods,” he said.