Traffic authorities in Dubai have revealed the most dangerous traffic violation of 2018 in a recently released traffic report. The report provides details of road accidents recorded in Dubai during the first seven months of 2018 and reveals figures for deaths and injuries recorded in these accidents.
In their report, authorities have identified the most frequently committed traffic violations that accounted for fatal road accidents since the start of this year till the end of July. In addition to revealing these traffic stats, authorities have also launched a new awareness campaign to improve the road safety situation in the emirate.
Also read: 5 Roads in Dubai with Most Accidents Recorded during the First Half of 2018
Details of the New Traffic Report
According to the recently released traffic report by Dubai Police, 1,420 road accidents were recorded in Dubai till the end of July. As many as 922 people were injured in these accidents while 88 road deaths were recorded. Sudden swerving was identified as the most dangerous traffic violation during this period as it caused 342 road accidents in which 28 people lost their lives. Sudden swerving is a serious traffic violation that is mostly committed by motorists due to their divided attention on the road. Other major reasons behind dangerous road accidents during the first seven months of 2018 were tailgating and misjudgment by drivers.
Penalties for Sudden Swerving
Traffic fines for dangerous traffic violations were increased in the recently amended traffic law to discourage motorists from committing these violations. Over the past few years, sudden swerving has remained as one of the most frequently committed traffic violations in Dubai and this is the reason why the penalties for this violation were also revised in the amended traffic law. According to the amended traffic law, motorists will face a fine of AED 1,000 and 4 black points will be issued against their driving license for sudden swerving on the UAE roads.
Understanding the Major Traffic Problems of Dubai
Dubai is a cosmopolitan city and has its own traffic problems like other megacities of the world. Most of the traffic problems of Dubai revolve around the emirate’s high resident to car ratio (2:1) and its ever-growing expat population. The traffic jams caused by high traffic volume during peak hours build frustration amongst motorists, which can make drivers more vulnerable to committing dangerous driving mistakes.
The expatriate population, which comprises of almost 80% of the emirate’s total population is another major road safety concern for traffic authorities. Expatriates who hail from other countries find it extremely challenging to follow traffic rules of the UAE that are significantly different to their country of origin. Expatriates mostly commit traffic violations because of their limited understanding of the traffic rules and lack of familiarity with the UAE’s traffic culture.
Reckless driving behavior of motorists is also a major road safety concern in Dubai. Motorists have been advised by traffic authorities on a regular basis to bring a positive change to their driving approach and be more careful, particularly when driving in heavy traffic. Authorities have also toughened their stance towards traffic offenders and improved their traffic monitoring systems to penalize repeat offenders more effectively. However, the road safety situation will only improve drastically if motorists become more cautious in their approach and avoid dangerous traffic violations such as speeding, lane swerving, tailgating and jumping the red signal amongst others. During last few years, all of these violations have been amongst the major reasons behind fatal road accidents in the emirate.
Also read: A Mid-Year Review of the Most Frequently Committed Traffic Violations in Dubai
New Road Safety Campaign Launched in Dubai
In the recent past, authorities have taken some notable initiatives to improve the road safety situation in Dubai. These initiatives include the launch of road safety awareness campaigns, improving the traffic monitoring systems and making amendments to traffic rules to discourage motorists from committing dangerous violations.
A Day without Accidents Campaign
Dubai Police has recently launched a new awareness campaign named “A Day without Accidents” to urge motorists to drive safely. This campaign will run from August 1 to September 2 and motorists who participate in this campaign will be urged to sign a pledge letter promising that they will drive carefully. Authorities have also offered a significant incentive to motorists for participating in this campaign, which includes distribution of special gifts and appreciation certificates amongst motorists who keep their promise and don’t commit dangerous violations on Dubai roads.
Join “ #ADayWithoutAccidents ” Campaign, register and take the Pledge to ensure the beginning of new academic year ,2/9 , is a traffic accidents-free day kindly, click on the link:https://t.co/hXndGS5oWk
#DubaiPolice#YourSecurityOurHappiness#SmartSecureTogether#DPAwareness pic.twitter.com/Q12NCXEpSS— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) August 6, 2018
Bottom-line
In order to improve the road safety situation on Dubai roads, efforts from authorities will bear little fruit until motorists realize their responsibilities and start playing their part. With all the aforementioned initiatives, authorities are doing whatever is possible, now motorists need to step forward and participate in the “A Day without Accidents” campaign and help build a safer traffic culture in the emirate.
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