Small increase in Dubai road death toll

This collision between two lorries on Al Khail Road in Dubai in April resulted in the death of a man. Courtesy Dubai Police

DUBAI // One hundred and fifteen people were killed and hundreds more suffered serious to minor injuries in almost 1,800 accidents on the emirate’s roads and highways in the first eight months of the year, according to figures from Dubai Police.

There were 1,783 traffic accidents recorded between January and August, said Col Jamal Al Bannai, acting director of the General Department of Traffic, who said that more than half of the incidents had led to fatalities or injuries.

“We have recorded 115 deaths, 135 people who were seriously injured, 449 who were moderately injured, and 811 who sustained minor injuries,” he said.

Despite almost reaching 1,800 accidents, this year’s figure was still 115 fewer than during the same time period last year. There were fewer deaths recorded in the same eight-month spell last year, at 112, although more people were hurt, with 1,576 injuries recorded.

The most common accidents this year were car crashes, which also accounted for more than half of all deaths, followed by run-over accidents and incidents of cars flipping over.

Col Al Bannai said that sudden swerving and tailgating remained high on the list of offences reported by police patrols across the emirate.

“Recently we have had a lot of cases of sudden swerving because there were vehicles stopped on the hard shoulder of the road or vehicles using the hard shoulder.”

Col Al Bannai reiterated that the hard shoulder should be used only by police vehicles and ambulances.

“We continuously warn people not to stop on the hard shoulder. We also warn those who drive lorries that if they’re tired and need to rest, they should stop in a place where it’s not dangerous,” he said.

“We have launched a number of campaigns to warn lorry drivers, and the companies for which they work, against parking on the hard shoulder.”