Caused 5 fatalities last year

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Tuesday, February 10th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

The Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate warned against the dangers of motorbike accidents; pledging to further increase traffic awareness and control to ensure safety precautions and smooth traffic flow on roads.

Brigadier Khamis Ishaq, Deputy Director of the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate, indicated that motorbike accidents have resulted in five deaths and ten serious injuries in 81 traffic accidents that occurred in the emirate of Abu Dhabi last year. He revealed that 62% of those who cause accidents are young people, and that the majority of these accidents varied from run-over incidents, collision, and overturning.

Brigadier Ishaq added that the Ministry of Interior seeks to implement the vision of the UAE to become one of the best countries in the world in terms of safety and security. He also urged motorcyclists to abide by traffic laws; observe the legal speed limits; observe safety procedures to avoid injuries from accidents; wear a protective helmet and protective fireproof clothing to avoid serious injuries; to ensure their safety by checking the motorcycle’s front and rear lights, as well as the tires and to install labels that reflect light.

Moreover, Brigadier Ishaq explained that the leading causes of accidents were speeding, failure to pay attention to the road conditions; followed by sudden swerving, violating lane discipline, poor riding skills, failure to leave sufficient distance between vehicles, among others. “Highlighting those reasons aims at protecting young people against the risks associated with motorcycle riding, and ensuring their safety and the safety of other road users,” he said.

Brigadier Ishaq also warned against irresponsible behaviors by some motorcyclists who ride without license plates or against traffic, performing dangerous reckless stunts on main roads and streets or inside residential areas, as well as creating disturbance by fitting motorcycles with illegally modified amplifiers which increase the engine’s speed and sound.

Furthermore, Brigadier Ishaq reiterated the directorate’s keenness, to raise awareness among  members of the public on the safe riding of motorcycles by organizing traffic awareness lectures and exhibitions for students as a part of its traffic safety plan,. It is worth mentioning that around 176 awareness programs have been organized in the educational sector across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain during last year, benefitting 19,588 individuals; in addition to the awareness-raising campaigns that are organized during the “Tel Moreeb” Festivals activities. “This provides the perfect opportunity to promote public safety and security for all and contributes to reducing the risks to community’s safety, in addition to communicating with the public in order to acquaint them with the directorate’s efforts aimed at providing public safety for motorcyclists,” he continued.

Adding further, Brigadier Khamis Ishaq said: “By enforcing strict measures and intensifying control, the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate do not seek to prevent young motorcycle fanciers from practicing their hobby. These procedures are designed to ensure their safety and to encourage them to ride in safe areas where bikes are permitted.” He also noted that the directorate organized a traffic village last year in the Al Bada touristic region to raise awareness among motorcyclists and quad bike drivers and to educate students about motorcycle riding safety precautions.  The traffic village activities’ were also intended to encourage participants to abide by traffic rules in order to avoid traffic accidents, which could result in injuries or loss of life and property.

He also explained that the motorcycle awareness program focused on gaining bike riders’ trust, answering their queries, fostering their traffic culture via traffic awareness publications and mementos, as well as encouraging them to riding their bikes in areas where bikes are permitted, including sandy and unpopulated areas, and to refrain from riding them in public places and on roads in residential areas. He also called for intensifying supervision and traffic control in order to catch violators.

Additionally, Brigadier Ishaq called upon parents to ensure the safety of their children and to protect them against traffic accidents, by supporting the efforts exerted by the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate. He also encouraged parents to prevent their children from riding their bikes on internal and external roads, or in sandy areas. Parents were also invited to avoid buying small motorbikes or electric bikes for children and to prevent them from riding these bikes on main roads, which is likely to expose them to tragic traffic accidents that may lead to deaths and severe injuries.

Brigadier Ishaq also stressed the need to observe the provisions of the Federal Law No. 21 of 1995 concerning traffic and amending laws. As per the law, violators who fail to wear a helmet while riding will receive four black points and a fine of Dh400, and have their bikes confiscated for one month. Bike riders who cause disturbance will be fined Dh500, and a Dh300 fine for towing a motorcycle in an unprepared vehicle and a dangerous manner.

Brigadier Ishaq also encouraged motorcyclists, especially restaurant delivery men and couriers, to avoid overtaking and driving in between vehicles at stop lights and intersections, or during traffic accidents. “Motorcycle drivers who fail to observe these rules will be penalized for wrong overtaking with a fine of Dh200, three black points and a week-long impounding of the bike. Such practice poses a grave danger and compromises their safety and the safety of other road users,” he continued.

In conclusion, Brigadier Ishaq noted that tickets for as many as 5449 violations were issued to motorcyclists last year. Violations included excessive speeding; failure to abide by lane discipline; wrongful overtaking; failure to renew motorcycle registration; failure to produce motorcycle’s official documents; riding without a helmet; jumping red lights; and overtaking on the hard shoulder of the road among others.

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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Contacts

The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department

Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media

Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317

E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com

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