ABU DHABI // Road deaths in the capital fell by 17 per cent over the past nine months. There have been 189 deaths since January, compared with 229 over the same period last year. The number of severe injuries also decreased, from 270 to 184, said Brig Hussein Al Harthi, director of the Traffic and Patrols Directorate at Abu Dhabi Police.
Despite an increase in the number of registered vehicles, said the Brig, awareness campaigns had been a success.
“The continued improvement in traffic safety indicators in the emirate during the first nine months of 2014, in spite of the increase in number of registered vehicles by eight per cent, is a result of the directorate’s efforts in implementing a comprehensive traffic safety plan, raising awareness, implementing an integrated speed management strategy, increasing enforcement and automated traffic control devices, and in developing a system to identify the motorists who run red lights,” he said.
Speeding remains the main cause of accidents, followed by neglect and lack of attention and sudden swerving, failure to maintain a safe distance between vehicles, running red lights and blown tires.
People in the 18-30 age group were involved in the majority of accidents this year.
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