Pedestrian death toll in UAE down nine per cent

Five years after three young girls were killed while crossing Airport Road, an awareness campaign, rigorous law enforcement and continuous development of pedestrian crossings have led to a decline in pedestrian deaths.

ABU DHABI // Fewer pedestrians are dying on the roads, nearly five years after a speeding driver took the lives of three young sisters in a tragedy that shocked the nation.

The deaths in June 2009 of Shaikha Al Mansouri, 4, and her sisters Damayer, 6, and Mariam, 7, mown down trying to cross a busy road, sparked anger and grief, and prompted The National to launch its Road to Safety campaign.

Since then there have been awareness campaigns, rigorous law enforcement and continuous development of pedestrian crossings, tunnels and footbridges, including one at the notorious accident blackspot opposite the Carrefour supermarket on Airport Road where the three little girls died.

Now the most recent figures show that 1,209 pedestrians died on the roads nationwide last year compared with 1,328 in 2011, a fall of 9 per cent.

Traffic enforcement has become stricter to ensure that drivers give pedestrians the right of way or risk a Dh500 fine and six black points. Police have also toughened their stance on jaywalking, which carries a Dh200 fine in the capital.

To reduce speeding and create a safer environment for pedestrians, a new layout for right-turn lanes, larger and safer pedestrian refuge islands and unobstructed pedestrian walkways are being introduced for all new streets within Abu Dhabi urban areas.

Pavements have also been widened and standardised, new fencing has been erected to prevent jaywalking and electronic directional signs have been installed as part of pedestrian safety measures by Abu Dhabi Municipality.

The first Ministry of Interior road-safety campaign last year focused on pedestrian safety. “Pedestrian Safety is Our Responsibility” was launched by the traffic coordination department, in conjunction with traffic and licensing directorates across the UAE, and more than 20 stakeholders in the private and public sectors.

The ultimate objective, the ministry said, was to improve road safety, curb pedestrian injuries and boost long-term efforts towards crash-free roads.

Speaking in advance of the 2014 Gulf Traffic Week which begins on March 9, Brig Ghaith Al Zaabi, head of the Ministry of Interior's traffic coordination department, called for increased co-operation to reduce traffic accidents and cut down traffic fatalities.

“Achieving traffic awareness is a responsibility that needs to be assumed by all institutions and sectors across the country,” he said.

There were 651 road deaths last year, down about 10 per cent from 720 in 2011. There were 7,743 injuries from road-related crashes last year, down from 7,808 in 2011.

The number of road-traffic accidents decreased by about 24 per cent to 5,124 last year from 6,700 in 2011.

Brig Al Zaabi said the ministry’s traffic-safety goal was for the UAE to achieve a reduction in road deaths to three per 100,000 people by 2021.

Last year, there were 6.52 road deaths per 100,000 people, down 23 per cent from 8.49 per 100,000 in 2011.

Between 2014 and 2016, the UAE hopes to cut that to 5.5 deaths for every 100,000, he said.

There were 24.34 deaths per 100,000 vehicles last year, a reduction of about 22 per cent from 31.05 per 100,000 in 2011. Road deaths among Emiratis dropped by about 23 per cent to 138 last year from 178 in 2011.

During Gulf Traffic Week, 12 new community initiatives intended to counter road accidents and promote traffic awareness - one for each month - will also be launched. These will include campaigns to make people aware of driving etiquette, as well as how to drive safely with a baby on board.

While there has been progress in enforcement, transport-infrastructure improvements and enhanced cooperation between healthcare authorities and traffic police departments, road safety remains a challenge.

The 2013 Global Status Report on Road Safety, which was based on 2010 data, suggested three key federal laws on compulsory seat belts, child car seats and helmet standards.

Palestine and Saudi Arabia are the only two countries in the region with laws requiring child restraints, said Dr Hala Sakr, technical officer at the World Health Organisation’s eastern Mediterranean office.

She recognised, however, the efforts made by the UAE to improve its laws.

As part of the UAE’s commitment to improving road-safety performance, Abu Dhabi is hosting the first International Road Traffic Accident Conference on March 10.

Developing policies and highlighting best practices to reduce road-traffic injuries and deaths will be high on the agenda for the gathering of health professionals, traffic and transport specialists, accident-data specialists and public safety managers from around the world.

The two-day event aims to raise the preventability of road-traffic injuries and promote good practices to achieve safe roads, safe speeds, safe vehicles and safe people.

Nearly 3,400 people die on the world’s roads every day, and tens of millions are injured and disabled every year, according to the WHO.

Focus will be on the causes, challenges and counter-measures in two areas: traffic engineering and road safety, and in the medical field.

More than 400 participants and speakers will identify the risk factors associated with traffic accidents; present current best practice in road safety; review new techniques and approaches to deal with trauma injuries; and examine ways how road and vehicle-safety policies are formed.