Dubai Police warn drivers against sudden lane changes after three crash deaths

Seventy-five people were also injured in more than 100 accidents in eight months

Drivers failing to stay in their mandatory lanes caused more than 100 accidents in Dubai in the past eight months. Pawan Singh / The National.

Dubai Police has warned drivers to stay in their traffic lanes after motorists caused more than 100 accidents and three deaths in the past eight months.

The force said the crashes also injured 75 people, two of them seriously.

Its advanced traffic surveillance system detected 529,736 instances of drivers straying from mandatory lanes.

“The negligence resulted in the unfortunate loss of three lives,” said Maj Gen Saif Al Mazrouei, director of traffic at Dubai Police.

He said 44 people suffered moderate injuries, while 29 suffered minor injuries.

Maj Gen Al Mazrouei said the risky manoeuvres often took place near highway exits and intersections and could lead to serious accidents.

Drivers who fail to remain in their mandatory lanes face fines of Dh400.

A traffic lane's “mandatory” status can be temporary, and might be due to, for example, reduced visibility, heavy traffic, or accidents, Maj Gen Al Mazrouei said.

Some lanes may be restricted to certain vehicles, such as buses and taxis.

He urged drivers to follow traffic rules and adhere to lane regulations.

Last year, more than 3,000 crashes across the UAE led to the deaths of 343 people and injury of 5,045 others.

Out of the total number of collisions, 848 were caused by sudden swerving and lane indiscipline, according to Ministry of Interior figures.