More radars, more patrols: Dubai Police steps up war on dangerous drivers

Dubai's Department of Transport is going to step up patrols as it tries to cut fatalities on the emirate's roads. Courtesy Dubai Police

The Dubai Traffic Department is set to step up patrols by 30 per cent and increase the use of radar speed guns, particularly in road accident hot spots, as part of a traffic safety campaign this week.

The initiative comes in response to a call from Dhahi Khalfan, Dubai's police chief, to reduce road fatalities to 100 case by the end of the year, 23 fewer than last year.

The statistics of Dubai Traffic have shown a significant rise of 77 per cent in traffic deaths in the emirate during the first quarter of the year. There were 48 deaths, up from 21 the same period last year.

Maj Gen Mohammed Saif Al Zafin, head of the traffic department, told Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister newspaper to The National, that "all patrols have instructions to toughen up on offenders, to immediately impound speedsters' cars, and refer them to police on a criminal charge of endangering their lives and the lives of others".