ABU DHABI // Fewer people are dying on the roads - both drivers and pedestrians.
In Abu Dhabi, deaths in car accidents fell from 376 in 2010 to 334 last year, a drop of 11.1 per cent. Pedestrian deaths have dropped by a third in two years, and fell last year by 20 per cent to 81.
In Dubai, 12 people died on the roads in January and February compared with 21 in the same months last year. About half of those were pedestrians, and police say cutting that number is their biggest challenge this year.
Police in Abu Dhabi aim to further cut the statistical road-death rate. It is already down to 2.6 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people, down from 4.4 in 2007. "We are trying to reach between 1 and 2," said the police traffic chief Brig Hussein Al Harethi.
"This is the international figure," said Brig Al Harethi, head of the Traffic and Patrols Directorate.
Police attributed the reduction in deaths in Abu Dhabi to an increase in 24-hour patrols that target areas and times where most traffic offences occur, and intensified community awareness activities. These included 12 awareness campaigns, 30 exhibitions and visits to 331 schools.
Several high-profile safety campaigns will take place during Traffic Week in the capital next week. They include the Community Target', which aims to include all aspects of society in a bid to improve road safety, and a Keep it Clean campaign to encourage drivers to have a record clear of black points.
The Broken Heart initiative will discuss the emotional impact of the death of loved ones in accidents through discussions with the friends and families of crash victims.
These campaigns will use social media to raise awareness of the issue and will focus on reaching communities who speak languages other than Arabic or English.
Abu Dhabi plans to introduce Smart Traffic Systems to monitor and control roads as part of its strategy to have zero road deaths in the emirate by 2030.
There were 2,280 crashes that resulted in injuries in 2011, 10 per cent down on the previous year and the lowest rates in over four years.
The overall crash rate per 100,000 people was 73.0 in 2011. The rate of deaths and serious injuries was 23.2 per 100,000.
Fatalities on the emirate's 10 most dangerous roads, which police did not identify, were down by 6 per cent.
Deaths on the Sila road to the Saudi Arabian border and Hameem roads south to the Liwa oasis were reduced by 26 per cent.
The leading causes of crashes were tailgating, running red lights, entering a road without first making sure it was clear, speeding, lack of attention, poor tyre maintenance and reckless driving at turns.
Specific rules have been issued to address these problems in 2012.
The number of registered vehicles in Abu Dhabi dropped by 5 per cent, and the number of licence holders dropped by 9.6 per cent.
In Dubai, speed, sudden swerving and not staying in lane were the most frequent causes of fatal accidents.
Thirty-one children under 15 have been injured in road accidents in Dubai so far this year. Ten of those were pedestrians and three were injured while driving.
In total 383 people were injured in traffic accidents this year, 23 of them seriously.
azacharias@thenational.ae
This article has been corrected since it was published. The number of licence holders in Abu Dhabi did not increase but dropped by 9.6 per cent.
