UAE road deaths lowest in almost a decade as drivers hit with 8 million fines

Abu Dhabi topped the list for speeding offences, with five million fines issued last year

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. 16 APRIL 2020. 
Dubai Mounted Police officers, in Al Aweer, about to drive to patrol residential and commercial areas to insure residents are staying safe indoors during COVID-19 lockdown. They patrol the streets from 6PM to 6AM.

The officers of the Dubai Mounted Police unit have been playing a multifaceted role in the emirate for over four decades. 

The department was established in 1976 with seven horses, five riders and four horse groomers. Today it has more than 130 Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses, 75 riders and 45 groomers.

All of the horses are former racehorses who went through a rigorous three-month-training programme before joining the police force. Currently, the department has two stables – one in Al Aweer, that houses at least 100 horses, and the other in Al Qusais, that houses 30 horses.

(Photo: Reem Mohammed/The National)

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The UAE recorded 448 traffic deaths in 2019, and more than eight million speeding fines handed out to the country's motorists.

More than 8.7 million road users were fined last year for speeding, and about 55,000 were caught trying to jump red lights, a report by the Ministry of Interior said.

 

Abu Dhabi topped the list for speeding offences – five million fines issued there last year.

Dubai issued two million fines to drivers who failed to obey to speed limits.

 

Of the people who died in road traffic incidents, 282 people were involved in collisions and 105 people were run over.

In 61 fatalities, the vehicles had not been properly maintained.

Deaths dropped from 2018, when 468 fatalities were recorded, statistics showed.

 

But the number of serious road injuries in the Emirates increased by almost 13 per cent in the same period.

More than 800,000 speeding offences were recorded in Sharjah, about 340,000 in Ajman, 231,480 in Ras Al Khaimah and 143,619 in Umm Al Quwain.

 

The number of fines issued for driving above speed limits fell last year compared with 2018.

Speeding, using mobile phones while driving, failing to fasten seatbelts, jumping red lights ‎and tailgating were among the most common offences recorded last year.

The fall in numbers was attributed to upgraded traffic control measures including better road signs, improved road surfaces and speed restrictions.

The introduction of a points system for reckless driving and the threat of imprisonment for serious breaches were also thought to have reduced incidents.

In January, traffic cameras that can detect tailgating were activated across Abu Dhabi’s roads to improve safety.

For the past five years, the UAE was ranked first in the World Economic Forum’s global index of road quality.

UAE traffic violations at a glance