ABU DHABI // Traffic campaigns along with strict law enforcement by police were the key reasons why accidents on the emirate’s roads had fallen by a quarter over the first eight months of the year, Abu Dhabi Police said on Thursday.
Latest figures released by Abu Dhabi Police reveal that since the start of the year there were 30 deaths compared with 40 over the same period last year.
Brig Gen Khalifa Al Khaili, head of traffic and road safety at Abu Dhabi Police, attributed the decrease to the efforts of the authorities to make roads safer. He said that awareness programmes had been increased to ensure respect of traffic rules.
Col Jamal Al Ameri, head of public relations at the directorate, said traffic awareness sessions had taken place at transport companies, schools and universities.
And he added that the traffic safety improvements were down to these campaigns – in addition to the widespread use of radars and other traffic monitoring systems.
“The drop in fatalities is mainly due to the strict enforcement of laws and the safety awareness programmes,” he said.
Brig Al Khaili said that increased road monitoring efforts aimed at limiting run-over accidents had resulted in 9,461 actions against drivers who failed to give priority to pedestrians at specified locations.
Talking to Al Ittihad, the sister newspaper to The National, he added that there were "271 violations for not stopping at pedestrian crossings, and 38,522 to pedestrians for crossing at unspecified locations".
He said the main causes of run-over accidents were failure to give way to pedestrians, neglect, inattention, reversing without ensuring the road was clear, and excessive speed. He urged motorists to pay attention to pedestrians, especially children, and to reduce speed at zebra crossings.
Abu Dhabi Police has an effective traffic safety plan, said Khaled Al Mansoori, chief executive at the Emirates Driving Company (EDC) in Abu Dhabi. “Traffic safety is a priority of the Abu Dhabi government,” he said. “Stricter police enforcement by Abu Dhabi Police, traffic safety awareness campaigns to ensure motorists adhere to the rules, and the Department of Transport’s initiatives to improve safety through the design and maintenance of the road network, are essential to curb road accidents.”
A key feature of EDC’s curriculum was to develop safe driving techniques, increase traffic safety awareness and promote road safety, he said.
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