One death on Dubai’s roads every 50 hours, police say

Statistics show 131 people were killed in the first nine months of this year, with sudden swerving being the leading cause of deaths.

Air Wing responds to the scene of a crash. Courtesy Security Media

DUBAI // People have been dying on the emirate’s roads at a rate of one every 50 hours this year, police said.

There were 131 people – 120 men and 11 women – killed in Dubai during the first nine months of the year, Dubai Police traffic statistics reveal. This is a slight increase on the 127 killed in the same period last year.

Col Saif Al Mazrouei, director of the traffic department, told The National's Arabic-language sister newspaper, Al Ittihad, that the figures showed crashes continued to be a serious issue.

He said 90 per cent of incidents were a result of sudden swerving or failure to observe a safe distance between vehicles.

The statistics showed that 403 crashes were caused by sudden swerving, leading to 37 deaths. Crashes caused by failure to observe a safe distance between vehicles led to 26 deaths and 306 injuries.

Bad judgment caused 197 incidents that led to 16 deaths, while driving while under the influence of alcohol led to 299 crashes, killing six people and injuring 81 others.

Other causes of death listed were the following:

• Crossing a red light, 91 incidents, six deaths

• Lack of sleep, four incidents, two deaths

• Negligence and inattention, 85 incidents, four deaths

• Entering a road before making sure it is clear, 158 incidents, seven deaths

• Reversing recklessly, 84 incidents, one death

• Excessive speed, 46 incidents, seven deaths

• Drug driving, 33 incidents, one death

• Parking in the middle of the road, six incidents, six deaths

• Not observing lanes, 135 incidents, two deaths

• Rain, four incidents, one death

• Fog, two incidents, one death

• Driving below speed limit, one incident, one death

• Tyre blowout, one death.

The reasons for the remaining six deaths were not announced.