SHARJAH // A motorist has been caught driving at 268kph on Emirates Road in Sharjah, more than double the speed limit.
The driver was flashed last year by a speed camera on the busy of the 120kph highway that links the northern emirates with Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Speeding is the main cause of fatalities, especially among young drivers, according to Colonel Shawaf Abdulrahman, Director of Traffic and Police patrols.
“Reckless driving results in motorists losing focus and swerving out of control, some accidents lead to the speeding car catching fire and burning completely,” he said.
“The majority of speeding-related accidents are carried out by young motorists, with no regards to the safety of others,” Col Abdulrahman added.
In 2015, 3,560 motorists were issued with speeding tickets for driving faster than 180kph on Sharjah’s roads and highways, and more than 658 tickets were issued to people for driving in excess of 200kph, police said.
A comparative figure for 2014 was not made immediately available. In Dubai last year, 760 motorists were caught by traffic cameras or police officers while driving in excess of 200kph.
In 2014, police clocked a motorist driving at 217kph in a 70kph zone through the built-up Jumeirah residential neighbourhood.
Colonel Arif Al Sherif, deputy of Sharjah Police’s central operations, said the human and financial toll of reckless driving often means it is more that those who are behind the wheel who are affected.
“These accidents are tragic, the emirate has beena witness to several of them during the past year. Fatalities on the road affects families both on a financial level and in human suffering, whether they were a victim of a traffic accident, or a reckless driver, losing their life on the road.”
Families, and parents in particular, are key to helping change people’s behaviour when driving, said Major Abdul Rahman Khatr.
“Parents have a major impact on raising the awareness of young children, they should guide them and keep them well informed about the dangers of reckless driving and its lethal results, as well as being a role model driver for their children,” said the director of Traffic Awareness at Sharjah Police.
Last year Sharjah Police’s Traffic Awareness Department targeted school pupils and university students as part of a road safety awareness campaigns. “We distributed more than 250,000 leaflets in awareness campaigns last year,” said Maj Khatr.
Police also impounded thousands of cars with modified bodywork and engines that had not been inspected and approved by the traffic and licensing department, which is a breach of federal traffic laws.
“Our ongoing campaigns have resulted in the impounding of 8,104 cars for reckless driving and endangering the public,” added Col Abdulrahman said.
tzriqat@thenational.ae
