2,300 jaywalkers fined in May

More than 2,000 jaywalkers were caught and cited by the Abu Dhabi traffic police.

ABU DHABI // More than 2,000 pedestrians have been fined for jaywalking in the past month - usually near pedestrian crossings.

Most of the 2,300 offenders were caught in Electra Street, Hamdan Street and Khalidiya, and near shopping malls and industrial zones.

Accidents involving pedestrians have led to one death and two serious injuries this month, Col Hamad Mubarak al Ameri, head of traffic at Abu Dhabi Traffic and Patrols Directorate, said.

Abu Dhabi police launched a year-long campaign last month urging pedestrians to use designated crossings and calling on drivers to slow down at these crossings.

"There are people who cross the street from non-designated areas, climbing fences and risking their lives without realising the consequences of their behaviour," Col al Ameri said. Jaywalkers are subject to a Dh200 fine.

Pedestrians are involved in 30 per cent of traffic accidents, and 101 died in the emirate in 2010, police say. Seventy-eight per cent of such accidents are in areas with no designated crossings.