ABU DHABI // All companies involved in the transport sector should ensure that their drivers understand and obey the traffic rules and are fit to be behind the wheel, the vice chief executive officer at Emirates Driving Company said on Monday.
Tuesday marks the first anniversary of the UAE's most tragic road accident, in which 21 workers died and 23 were injured.
And in order to prevent a repeat tragedy Khaled Al Mansoori said that drivers of heavy vehicles and school buses should be well trained in driving company vehicles in a safe and responsible manner.
“Many companies now invest in technology to monitor their drivers’ behaviour in terms of speed, distances covered and how aggressive and smooth the drivers are,” he said.
“This technology, in turn, can identify drivers who may display risky driving behaviour and these drivers can be identified for further training.”
Following the Al Ain road tragedy, the Al Ain Appeals Court concluded that the driver of a lorry that crashed into a workers’ bus exceeded the legal load limit and did not maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead of him.
Abdulilah Zineddin, a road safety expert in Abu Dhabi, said that companies employing lorry drivers should have a safety programme for drivers.
“If their safety performance is good, they should be rewarded and if it gets worse, they should be penalised,” he said. “The Government should treat these companies similarly, based on their safety performance.”
Dino Kalivas, director of training at EDC, said he would like to see more lorry drivers wearing their seat belts, and allowing a greater stopping distance between themselves and the vehicles ahead.
“Space is safety,” he said. “The mechanical and safety standard of trucks and buses is also a significant issue.”
Drivers of heavy vehicles should complete a daily visual inspection of their vehicles at a minimum, and inspect the condition of tyres, windscreens, brake lights and indicators lights, Mr Kalivas said.
“It is clear from everyday driving that many trucks are not in the best condition,” said Glenn Havinoviski, a transport expert in Abu Dhabi.
“If the truck is not maintained, the driver becomes a victim of an accident as well.”
A common cause of lorry accidents is a lack of sleep among drivers due to prolonged shifts with insufficient breaks.
On average, 20 per cent of all crashes are attributed to driver fatigue, according to Mr Kalivas.
“In many countries drivers of heavy vehicles are under great pressure to travel long distances and keep to scheduling, often neglecting to have regular rest periods,” he said.
In the US, the federal driving limit for lorry drivers is 11 hours a day and no more than 70 hours a week. In the EU, it is nine hours a day but the drivers cannot go more than 4 hours and 30 minutes at a time without a break, which must be 45 minutes minimum, Mr Havinoviski said.
The UAE does not specify a maximum driving limit for lorry drivers but discourages fatigued driving.
"A similar requirement to that of other countries could be implemented in the UAE to eliminate fatigued driving," he said.
rruiz@thenational.ae
