Police warn drivers to slow down for fog

Series of accidents on Monday involved 40 cars, police say.

ABU DHABI // Police warned today that drivers must be careful in heavy fog, just hours after crashes involving 40 cars in Seih Shoaib injured several motorists.

In a radio interview this morning, Col Mohamed Nasser Al Baloushi, head of the highway traffic department at Abu Dhabi Police, said motorists should be prepared.

"This is the fog season, we want everyone to be alert when driving," he said. "We are warning drivers that in the next few days to expect fog at any time. It is the biggest danger on the roads."

He said the main reason for accidents was that drivers did not slow down if they encountered fog.

"People see the fog, yet they speed as if driving a plane, as if there are no other cars on the road," he said. "What would happen if there was suddenly a car in front of him? Two cars last week were recorded to be driving at 255kph, and another at 240kph. Imagine a car going that fast."

He said the problem was that people refused to listen to warnings.

"There are signs everywhere, maybe they are not being read. The police are doing their jobs, they are working day and night - radars are working day and night," he said.

He said the number of highway patrols had been increased since the start of the fog season, and equipment was standing ready to move damaged vehicles off the roads quickly.