Rude and impatient drivers to blame for rise in deaths

Sudden swerving, speeding, tailgating, and lack of road etiquette were among the leading causes of deaths on Dubai roads. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

DUBAI // More than 110 people were killed in traffic accidents on Dubai’s roads in the first six months of this year – a 45 per cent increase from the same period in 2015.

According to the latest Dubai Police statistics, 112 people died and 1,037 were injured in 1,472 accidents from the beginning of January to the end of June. Last year during the same time there were more accidents – 1,526 – but only 77 were killed.

Brig Saif Al Mazrouei, director of the General Department of Traffic, said sudden swerving, speeding, tailgating, and lack of road etiquette were among the leading causes of deaths on the road. Lack of consideration for other road users led the top four.

“The highest number of fatalities – 27 – was a result of a lack of proper road etiquette, followed by 21 because of tailgating, 14 due to sudden-swerving, and 14 because of speeding,” said Brig Al Mazrouei.

Of the 1,037 people injured this year, 78 were seriously hurt with the rest suffering moderate and minor injuries.

Car crashes, pedestrians being run over and vehicles turning over are so far the most common accidents this year.

Brig Al Mazrouei said 45 people were killed and 695 injured in car crashes, while 29 people were killed and 166 were injured in run-over accidents.

Thirteen people were killed and 71 injured when their vehicles overturned.

The figures do not include the seven people killed when a minibus collided with a lorry on Emirates Road last month. That accident prompted fresh calls from road safety experts to ban small passenger vehicles from the country’s roads.

Also in the first six months of this year, Dubai Police recorded 44 accidents involving minibuses, in which six people died and 76 were injured.