Abu Dhabi Police to cut speed limit on Al Ain route from Monday

The force said the maximum speed on a section of the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Road will be cut from 160kph to 140kph

The police said traffic studies showed that reducing speeds led to improvements in road safety levels. The National

Abu Dhabi Police will cut the speed limit on a major road connecting the capital to Al Ain from Monday in an effort to boost road safety.

The force said the speed limit on Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Road — on the section from Al Sad bridge to Al Amera bridge — would be reduced from 160 kilometres an hour to 140kph.

The decision was made with the support of the emirate's Integrated Transport Centre.

Abu Dhabi Police called on motorists to abide by the new maximum speed limit

“Traffic studies have shown that reducing speed leads to improvements in road safety levels,” the force said.

Two people died and 11 were injured in February when a bus collided with another vehicle in the Ramah area, on the road from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain.

Lt Col Saif Al Amri, deputy director of the traffic department in Al Ain, said preliminary investigations showed that speeding, sudden changing of lanes and a failure to leave sufficient space between vehicles were all factors that led to the accident.

Speed cameras on the section of road will be set at 140kph from Monday.

In September, Abu Dhabi Police introduced a new speed limit on another main road in the capital.

The force explained that a section of the Sheikh Zayed Road would now have a reduced speed limit of 100 kilometres an hour from 120kph.

The new limit applied to the Qasr Al Bahr intersection in both directions.

It is one of the main routes into the capital from the outer suburbs and Dubai.

Improving road safety

Abu Dhabi removed a buffer on stated road limits in August, 2018.

Under the rule, which remains in place across the rest of the country, motorists can travel up to 20kph faster than posted limits without the risk of being fined.

Abu Dhabi Police carry out frequent awareness campaigns in a bid to boost safety and reduce accidents on roads.

A road safety initiative launched by the force received more than 35 million views on social media platforms in the first six months of the year.

In April, Abu Dhabi Police completed the installation of new electronic panels and speed signs on main roads in the emirate to warn drivers to reduce speed in hazardous weather conditions.

They are activated during rain, strong winds, sandstorms, and fog. Panels flash the speed limit of 80kph and warn motorists to keep a safe distance between vehicles.

Police also regularly post footage of real-life traffic accidents that occurred on Abu Dhabi’s roads in an effort to highlight the dangers of breaking traffic laws.

The short CCTV clips, which are posted regularly, show different types of road accidents to alert drivers to the dangers of poor road behaviours, including driving when distracted and switching lanes at the last minute.

Road safety in the Middle East — in pictures

Traffic on the King Fahd highway, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The National

Speed limits have been cut on some roads in the UAE to bolster safety.

Heavy traffic in Lebanon's capital city of Beirut. EPA

Omani police inspect the site of a collision between a lorry and a bus in western Oman in 2016 in which 18 people were killed. AFP