DUBAI // Two people died and three were injured in two separate incidents on Tuesday on one of the emirate's most dangerous roads. A speeding pick-up truck overturned and crashed on the Jebel Ali to Lahbab road, killing both the driver and passenger, police said yesterday. The crash raised the death toll on that stretch of road to 16 this year, making it Dubai's third-deadliest, according to police.
Police said the left rear tyre of the speeding pick-up blew out and the car overturned. In the other incident, a Toyota Land Cruiser overturned on Rabat Road near Festival City, sending the driver and two passengers to Rashid Hospital with moderate injuries. That accident was caused because the driver lost control of his vehicle, according to Dubai Police. The driver will be prosecuted for speeding.
There have been 208 deaths this year on Dubai roads, down from 294 in 2008. Increased police patrols on main roads and near pedestrian crossings have led to the 30 per cent drop in traffic fatalities, according to the city's deputy police chief, Maj Gen Khamis Matar al Mezaina. Emirates Road continues to be the most dangerous road in Dubai, with 25 deaths this year, down from 46. Dubai Bypass road, which runs parallel to Emirates Road from the Jebel Ali Airport and past Al Aweer industrial area towards Sharjah, was the second most-dangerous road. It saw an increase in deaths from six in 2008 to 17 this year.
The Jebel Ali to Lahbab Road was the only other road with an increase in deaths, from 10 in 2008 to 16 this year. Gen al Mezaina said the overall reduction 11.63 deaths per 100,000 this year compared to 17.86 per 100,000 last year comes after the implementation of stringent rules and road management strategies by Dubai Police. He added that the use of radar and traffic signals with pedestrian-friendly systems had made drivers more cautious.
amustafa@thenational.ae