More than 700 road accidents have been reported in Dubai over the four-day Eid Al Adha holiday, according to police.
Col Turki bin Faris, director of the command and control department at Dubai Police, said: “Some 728 traffic accidents occurred across Dubai during the Eid holiday. We also handled 125,867 emergency calls.
“Speeding, failing to maintain a safe distance, tailgating, carelessness and distraction are the main causes of crashes.”
He urged motorists to stick to their lane, drive safely and take extra care at interchanges.
“Drivers should abide by traffic rules, avoid wrong practices while driving and make sure the road is clear from pedestrians, especially in the areas of pedestrian crossings and residential neighbourhoods,” Col bin Faris said.
He appealed to the public to call 999 only in emergency cases, and call 901 to inquire about various services provided by Dubai Police.
"Non-emergency calls that police receive on 999 waste time and effort that should be dedicated to emergencies, where people are in desperate need of help.”
Contrary to Dubai, Lt Col Jassim bin Hadh, director of the central operations department at Sharjah Police, said there was only one accident and one minor injury reported in Sharjah during Eid Al Adha but added that the police call centre did handle 14,364 emergency calls over the long weekend.
