ABU DHABI // A US road safety expert has offered the UAE a number of recommendations to help reduce road fatalities.
Cutting speed, drivers understanding pedestrian behaviour and improving infrastructure are among the ideas put forward by Michael Dreznes.
He has offered countermeasures to make UAE roads safer for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
Vulnerable road users, which also include cyclists, motorbike riders and non-motorised transportation, account for 30 per cent of fatalities on UAE roads, according to the 2015 World Health Organisation global status report.
“Travelling speeds in areas where pedestrians are interacting with vehicles must be reduced and those speeds must be properly enforced,” Mr Dreznes said. “A pedestrian impacted by a car at 30kph has about a 10 per cent chance of dying. That same pedestrian struck by a car at 64kph has about a 90 per cent chance of death.”
City and rural planners must understand how pedestrians are using the roads to make sure their safety is a priority, he said.
“If an additional lane is added to a road, will pedestrians still be able to cross that road safely? Is a pedestrian overpass or a pedestrian-activated traffic signal justified? Do the pedestrians have footpaths that are segregated from the travelled way?” he said.
In multi-lane roads, the infrastructure should give pedestrians enough time to cross safely.
“Should pedestrian refuges be added to allow the pedestrian to cut the crossing of the road in half?” he asked. “Another engineering solution would be ‘central hatching’, where the median is increased and the lanes are narrowed.”
Pedestrian safety programmes for children that are then reinforced to everyone through public-awareness campaigns are also needed, Mr Dreznes said.
“A very simple rule is to always walk facing traffic and not in the direction of traffic to give them a chance to see an oncoming errant vehicle and take evasive actions to avoid being hit,” he said. “Pedestrians also should wear light-coloured clothes so they can be seen at night.”
Enforcement, he said, is the only way to stop dangerous activities such as uncontrolled stops by buses, illegally parked vehicles that may force pedestrians to walk in the road and pedestrians distracted by their mobile phones.
Mr Dreznes, who is the executive vice-president of the International Road Federation (IRF), is inviting road agency executives and design engineers from the UAE to participate in a vulnerable road user safety course in Doha from February 7 to 9.
IRF has teamed up with the Qatar Transportation and Traffic Centre at Qatar University for a series of training programmes.
“Road authorities and design engineers can learn new technologies and best practices, concepts and designs and put them into practice,” he said.
In recent years the UAE’s road authorities have made improvements for crossing facilities and speed management solutions in urban areas, said Simon Labbett, project director at Sheida, an Omani road safety body.
Median fences, footbridges, mid-block signals, speed humps and speed zone control markings are being installed across the UAE. Twelve bridges are being built in Abu Dhabi to ensure safety for pedestrians while maintaining traffic flow.
“What still needs to be done is continually raise awareness of the dangers of the road for drivers and vulnerable road users,” Mr Labbett said.
Children who travel in cars without being properly restrained are among the most vulnerable road users, he said.
“Perhaps the biggest step still to be achieved is government regulation for the mandatory use of child restraints and rear passenger seat belts,” said Mr Labbett, a former head of UK consultancy Transport Research Laboratory UAE.
“It would need to be linked with an educational programme supported by a high-profile enforcement campaign.”
rruiz@thenational.ae
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Last five meetings
2013: South Korea 0-2 Brazil
2002: South Korea 2-3 Brazil
1999: South Korea 1-0 Brazil
1997: South Korea 1-2 Brazil
1995: South Korea 0-1 Brazil
Note: All friendlies
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
The biog
Full name: Aisha Abdulqader Saeed
Age: 34
Emirate: Dubai
Favourite quote: "No one has ever become poor by giving"
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier, in Bangkok
UAE fixtures Mon Nov 20, v China; Tue Nov 21, v Thailand; Thu Nov 23, v Nepal; Fri Nov 24, v Hong Kong; Sun Nov 26, v Malaysia; Mon Nov 27, Final
(The winners will progress to the Global Qualifier)
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If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
Oppenheimer
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How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
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Company%20profile
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio
Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)
Engine 4.7L V8
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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