Abu Dhabi Police urge motorists not to rush home to break fast

Police will intensify patrols near mosques around Taraweeh prayer time

An accident in Dubai during Ramadan last year. Police have reminded drivers to avoid speeding around iftar time and to always adhere to traffic rules. Photo: Dubai Police

Abu Dhabi Police have issued a warning to motorists to be more careful when driving during Ramadan.

Drivers should avoid speeding — particularly around iftar time — and they must always adhere to traffic rules, authorities said.

“Leaving for your destination in good time, complying with speed limits, respecting rights of other road users, especially pedestrians, and not jumping red light signals, spare you from getting involved in traffic accidents,” said First Lt Awatif Al Bloushi.

Police said they would intensify traffic patrols across the emirate and near mosques, when it is time for taraweeh (night) prayers. Surveillance cameras will help to catch offenders.

Authorities in the UAE remind motorists every Ramadan that most traffic-related accidents are avoidable and happen in the minutes before iftar because drivers are in a hurry to get home to end their fast.

Traffic safety campaigns are regularly carried out across the country throughout the holy month.

Dubai also carries out its own campaigns and this has helped to reduce the number of road deaths during Ramadan over the past few years.

In 2016, during Ramadan, 62 people died on the roads in the emirate. This number went down to 51 in 2017, then 30 in 2018 and 10 in 2019.

A 2019 survey by Road Safety UAE found that male motorists above 40 years of age are especially vulnerable and that peak accident timings are during the pre-Iftar period, 2pm to 5pm, and the morning rush hour from 8-10am.