DUBAI // New statistics released by Dubai police traffic department today show that 96,470 fines were issued by radar for the month of October, an increase of 31,000 fines from the previous month. Police say the increase, up from 65,480 fines issued in September, is partly due to the installation of more radar boxes. The addition of new radar boxes is part of an ongoing plan which will last until the end of the year. The statistics also show that the radars caught 1,100 vehicles running a red light. Brigadier Mohammed Saif Al Zafeen, director of Traffic Department said 500 new radars will be placed across Dubai, especially in highways like SZR, Emirates Road and Dubai-Al Ain Road. "Five hundred radars will be in position by the end of 2008, we aim to have one radar for every two kilometres in all the outer roads," he said. Brig Al Zafeen said the plan is to decrease the number of road deaths which occur on highways. "Forty to fifty per cent of deaths occur on highways and in ninety per cent of the time, speeding is the cause," he said. Meanwhile, the Traffic Department continues with it's aggressive driving campaign which was launched this week by hosting a lecture session about the dangers of aggressive driving at Dubai Women's College. Khaled Mubarak Kansham from the Traffic Department told the audience that aggressive driving conveys a driver's carelessness and immaturity. He also said that the main signs of aggressive driving include not leaving enough distance between the vehicle ahead, random shifting of lanes, not using the indicator lights when shifting, dangerous overtaking, not giving way and not being co-operative with other drivers on the road. During the launch of the campaign, police said that more women are adopting aggressive driving behaviours on the road, adding that unsafe driving will not be overlooked no matter how frustrating Dubai's traffic may be to drivers.
rabubaker@thenational.ae