Reckless driving and poor roads are cause of increase in accidents, say RAK motorists

Police say the number of accidents in the emirate rose by 8.3 per cent in the first half of this year, compared to the same period of 2014.

An accident on July 26, 2015 where a 38 year old Asian national suffered injuries after the lorry he was driving swerved and rammed into a house.  Courtesy RAK Police

RAS AL KHAIMAH // Motorists believe reckless driving and poor road infrastructure are the cause of a rise in the number of road accidents this year.

Police said the number was up 8.3 per cent in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year.

Sara Mohanna, 25, a Palestinian advertising worker who has lived in RAK for 25 years, said: “Most motorists have a lack of knowledge and responsibility in driving and drive recklessly.”

Ms Mohanna believes the lack of traffic lights in the emirate has an impact on road safety. She also said her friend flipped her car while trying to avoid a reckless driver.

Yousef Mahmood, 31, an Egyptian barber who has lived in the emirate for eight years, said some roads were unsafe.

“Roads such as Al Nakheel are safe because they are new but the old ones, such as Al Montaser, are unsafe,” he said.

“The problem with this road is that it is motorway and has one lane with no speed bumps and few radars where the speed limit is 100 kph.”

Rami Alkhatib, 27, a Palestine sales manager, said that RAK’s roads and streets were in a good condition but motorists’ poor behaviour lay behind most of the accidents.

“Motorists drive in a reckless way on Sheikh Mohammed bin Salem Road, where the speed limit is 100 kph, and that leads to accidents.”

Despite the increase in accidents, Brig Gen Ghanem Ghanem of RAK Police said the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads was falling.

He said there were 28 deaths on the roads in the first half of this year, compared to 41 in the same period last year. There were also 14 serious injuries in the first half of 2015, compared to 17 in 2014.

An increase in the number of drivers on the road was part of the reason for the additional accidents, said Brig Gen Ghanem.

There has been a population increase in the emirate in the past five years, because of the construction boom, and with that more vehicles on the roads.