ABU DHABI // Road safety campaigns and improved traffic systems have helped to cut deaths on the capital’s roads by 25 per cent in the first half of the year, according to police.
Newly released figures from Abu Dhabi Police’s Traffic and Patrols Directorate show that the number of deaths on the roads dropped from 162 in the first six months of last year to 121 in the same period this year.
The number of people sustaining severe injuries also fell, by 22 per cent from 173 to 135, with the number of Emirati fatalities decreasing by 18 per cent.
Senior police officials have welcomed the findings and say it is part of an ongoing downwards trend.
“The directorate’s objective is to improve mortality rates by about 36 per cent by the end of this year, which supports our vision of reaching zero fatalities from traffic accidents in the emirate of Abu Dhabi by 2030,” said Brigadier Hussein Ahmed Al Harithi, the traffic department’s director.
Road accidents fell overall by 8 per cent, from 1,061 to 971, despite the number of registered vehicles and drivers increasing by seven per cent over the period.
Brig Al Harithi put the safety improvements down to a comprehensive traffic safety plan and awareness campaigns; an integrated speed strategy; tougher enforcement and automated traffic control devices; and the development of a system to identify motorists who run red lights.
“The major causes of traffic accidents during the first half of the year were due to sudden lane changes; speeding without considering the conditions of the road; running red lights; failing to leave a safe distance between vehicles; misjudging other road users; not giving priority to pedestrians; and failing to comply with lane rules,” he said.
The vast majority of traffic incidents involved men, 78 per cent, he said.
In Abu Dhabi, just more than half of the incidents were caused by people aged 30 or below.
People of Asian nationality caused 41 per cent of accidents, with Emiratis causing 29 per cent.
Of those injured in accidents, 43 per cent were not wearing a seat belt at the time.
“These indicators complement the positive results that have been achieved over the past five years,” Brig Al Harithi said.
“There’s been a 29 per cent decrease in traffic accident fatalities; 34 per cent decrease in fatalities per 100,000 people; a 51 per cent decrease in fatalities; and 24 per cent decrease in severe injuries per 10,000 vehicles; and a 33 per cent decrease in traffic accident injuries.”
A number of new initiatives have been introduced by the directorate to improve road safety.
“We have developed a control system in Abu Dhabi to identify motorists who run red lights in about 36 traffic light intersections,” he said.
“This has led to traffic accidents caused by running red lights decreasing by 31 per cent.”
The directorate’s Towards Reducing Serious Injuries and Death Rates Caused by Run-Over Accidents campaign saw a 59 per cent fall in deaths caused by run-over incidents over the past five years.
Also, the number of fixed and mobile speed cameras deployed on various roads in the capital reached 260 last year, which, in turn, reduced accidents caused by speeding by 44 per cent compared with 2012.
Educational programmes have also been held with 226 traffic lectures benefiting 21,208 motorists in the first quarter of this year.
nhanif@thenational.ae