Run-over Accidents Account for 18% of Total Accidents in 2014

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Saturday, May 16th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

According to statistics announced by the Traffic and Patrols Directorate at the Directorate General of Central Operations of the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ, the number of run-over accidents during 2014 accounted for 18% of the total number of accidents during the same period. Misjudgment of road users was the main cause of run-over accidents and accounts for 47%; not giving priority to pedestrians 23%; speeding and failure to take road conditions into account 8%; inattention,  6%; and reversing without making sure that the road is clear  6%.

Colonel Hamad Mubarak bin Athath Al Ameri, Head of the Capital’s Traffic Department  at the Traffic and Patrols Directorate, the Directorate General of Central Operations at Abu Dhabi Police GHQ, stressed the police leadership’s commitment to intensify efforts aimed at reducing negative behaviors that lead to run-over accidents involving pedestrians; increasing drivers' observance of traffic laws; reducing speeds; paying attention to pedestrians and giving them  priority to cross, especially in areas with high population density, markets, and industrial areas.

Colonel Al Ameri also noted that the department and its partners spare no effort to ensure safety for pedestrians and to protect them against run-over accidents. The department also cooperates with the Department of Transport and the Abu Dhabi Municipality to establish safety requirements and for pedestrians by building a complete network of pedestrian overhead bridges and passageways in addition to safety requirements to ensure these crossings are accessible to people with disabilities and other mobility-impaired people across the Abu Dhabi Island.

Adding further, Colonel Al Ameri noted that the police efforts in this regard also include the engineering development work that is currently underway to close any gaps in pedestrian tunnels, and installing fences along the different roads. Other efforts include making improvements on existing pedestrian crossings, building additional pedestrian footbridges.  Locations for these new pedestrian footbridges were identified based on traffic studies, to meet the needs of high-traffic in areas experiencing frequent pedestrians accidents.

He also pointed out to the importance of promoting a heightened sense of personal responsibility, and respect for traffic laws to curb run-over accidents. He also encouraged drivers to pay attention to the mistakes that pedestrians commit on streets, and urged families to shoulder their responsibility and keep a watchful eye on their children, calling on them to prevent children from playing on internal roads or crossing the street unsupervised.

Additionally, Colonel Al Ameri stressed the importance of reducing speed and giving priority to pedestrians. He also noted that road monitoring has been intensified on internal and external roads, through the traffic patrols, and civil patrols of the Traffic Investigation Section to stop drivers who fail to abide by the law.

Colonel Al Ameri also called upon drivers to support all efforts aimed at raising community awareness. He noted that the police have been keen to conduct field visits to workers camps and to organize awareness lectures for drivers of public and private companies, especially construction companies. The Police are also endeavoring to boost awareness among farmer workers and encourage them to cross the roads at the designated areas; pay attention to vehicles commuting in both directions, and to estimate their speed before crossing.

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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