Gulf Traffic's UAE Road Campaign: Safety Awareness For Emirates SAFE

Safety has always been big on Gulf Traffics agenda, Gulf Traffic Exhibition 2009 was especially important in highlighting the need for action to reduce the annual fatalities on some of the worlds most dangerous roads within the UAE. The Gulf Traffic Awards recognised companies, individuals and organisations for their efforts in increasing safety awareness The Changing Driver Behaviour award went to Health Authority - Abu Dhabi for its HAAD Drive Safe - Save Lives Campaign 2009. The Products or Services that have contributed to road safety for changing driver behaviour Award was received by ISBAK Inc. for its Mobile Traffic+ system.  The award for Road Safety – Infrastructure Project was received by the Traffic and Road Agency in RTA for Safe and Smooth Transport for all.

Not only did Gulf Traffic Awards have a dedicated Road Safety Category, the exhibition presented many global exhibitors with an interest in safety.  Amongst them were Emirates Driving Institute and their 'roll' 'simulation vehicle - the Gulf Traffic Team volunteered to sit in the vehicle while it rolled a complete 360.

"It was a very unusual sensation, we were only going 3kph in a controlled environment and I just cannot imagine what that would feel like at speeds of over 100kph in a real accident. It really makes you realise how important it is to wear your seatbelt!  Even when I was completely upside down, I was only lifted off my seat slightly. The really scary thing was how all the lose items they had placed in the vehicle fell to the front and kept hitting my face, I'll definitely not be keeping my laptop on the backseat from now on!"

Alex Jones, Gulf Traffic Exhibition

Mohd Nasiv from EDI also emphasised how important it was to ensure your children are securely and properly seated in the vehicle and all loose items should be stored in the boot.


Are you road S.A.F.E? - Test your UAE road law knowledge.

S.A.F.E supports and is supported by the RTA's Take Care Campaign

Minimize the chance of being involved or hurt in a road accident by:

WEARING YOUR SEATBELT

KEEPING A SAFE DISTANCE

STICKING TO THE SPEED LIMIT

INDICATING WHEN CHANGING LANES

LOOKING BEFORE YOU CHANGE LANES

NOT USING YOUR MOBILE PHONE

CHECKING YOUR TYRE'S REGULARLY FOR PRESSURE AND TREAD

Industry News:

Speed cameras keep Abu Dhabi streets calm
27 Jul 10, Emirates Business 24/7
Unusual calm has started to haunt Abu Dhabi streets as reckless drivers who had wreaked road havoc appear to have been brought back to their senses by scores of speed cameras being deployed by the emirate. Massive metal pylons fixed with tiny but advanced speed cameras have been erected on almost every road inside the Capital in the biggest drive mounted by the emirate’s traffic police to restore discipline to roads.

11 injured in two separate accidents
27 Jul 10, Gulf News
Eleven people were injured in two separate accidents yesterday morning in Dubai. Police said the first accident took place at around 6am on a crossing between Beirut and Halab roads when a speeding car allegedly jumped a red light and crashed into a pick-up.

Traffic toll down by 21% in UAE over past six months
27 Jul 10, Gulf News
Around 391 people were killed on the UAE's roads over the past six months, it was announced on Monday. The traffic toll has come down by 21 per cent, statistics released by the Ministry of Interior show.

Road deaths drop 25% in first half of 2010
22 Jul 10, Gulf News
Dubai has witnessed a remarkable 25 per cent decline in road fatalities in the first half of 2010 in comparison to the same period last year as well as a decrease in road accidents.

Saudi couple killed on way to honeymoon
21 Jul 10, Emirates Business 24/7
A Saudi couple who have just married were killed when their speeding car overturned many times and hit the pavement as they were on their way to a hotel for their honeymoon, the Arabic language daily Al Riyadh reported on Wednesday.

2,754 jaywalkers fined in single week
21 Jul 10, Gulf News
Around 2,754 jaywalkers were fined by the police in one week alone, the Abu Dhabi traffic police department has revealed. The crackdown comes as five pedestrians were killed and three were injured in accidents in the city this month.

Five killed in two road accidents in Oman
17 Jul 10, Gulf News
Five people, including a family of four, were killed in road accidents over the weekend in Oman, according to the Royal Oman Police.

Abu Dhabi puts the brakes on speeding motorists
14 Jul 10, Gulf News
Putting the brakes on speeding motorists is top priority for the police, a senior traffic official has said. Across the UAE, over 47,270 vehicles were impounded for a month for excessive speeding in 2009 while 25,862 vehicles were impounded in 2008, according to statistics from the interior ministry.

Two pedestrians injured in separate Abu Dhabi crashes
14 Jul 10, Gulf News
Two pedestrians were injured in separate incidents in the capital on Monday, Abu Dhabi police said. The victims — both Indians — were transported to the Al Mafraq hospital by the police.

Qatar road deaths rise by 5.6% in H1
13 Jul 10, Arabian Business
Fatalities on Qatar's roads increased by more than five percent in the first half of 2010 despite an overall decline in road accidents, it was reported on Tuesday.

Police urge motorists to ensure safe stops
13 Jul 10, Gulf News
The Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi announced today the implementation of Mawaqif paid parking services in two new areas in Abu Dhabi starting Wednesday 14th July in a step towards 'Mawaqif 2010 Plan' revealed earlier this year, aiming to manage car parking facilities and spaces in Abu Dhabi.

Traffic accident fatalities in UAE decrease sharply in first six months
11 Jul 10, Gulf News
Road mortality rates in the UAE dropped by 21 per cent and injuries by 23 per cent in the first half of this year compared to the corresponding half of last year, official figures revealed.

Four killed, 38 injured in Musaffah bus accident
11 Jul 10, Gulf News
Four people were killed and 38 were injured in a bus accident in Musaffah Sunday morning. The Pakistani bus driver and three Indian workers who were passengers in the bus were the victims. All those injured were Asian nationals. At least one person was seriously injured in the accident. The accident happened when a bus transporting workers rolled over, according to a police official.

Car accident kills one
06 Jul 10, Emirates Business 24/7
Mohammed Riyas, who rammed his car against a signal post in Jumeirah, killing a co-passenger continues to be critical. Riyas, who works as an accountant in a hotel apartment in Dubai, suffered severe head injuries and underwent surgery at Rashid Hospital.

Portable road signs mark safety drive
05 Jul 10, Gulf News
Forty portable Variable Message Signs (PVMS) have been deployed in Abu Dhabi signaling the first phase of an emirate-wide road safety campaign, a senior official said on Sunday.

Drop in traffic deaths in Al Ain
05 Jul 10, Gulf News
The traffic death rate fell by 6.7 per cent in the first half of the year in Al Ain, compared with figures from the same period last year, police statistics reveal.

Dubai traffic police chief chases, flags down reckless motorist
05 Jul 10, Gulf News
The head of the Dubai Police Traffic Department on Sunday chased down a motorist and fined her for driving recklessly. While on his way to work, Major General Mohammad Saif Zafein, Director of Dubai Police’s General Department of Traffic, spotted a motorist driving recklessly on Al Garhoud Bridge.

Oman: Speed, reckless driving cause death and injury
04 Jul 10, Gulf News
The fatalities on Oman's roads continue to be a worrying factor despite a series of measures taken by relevant authorities.

Two drivers killed on the spot after trailers collide
29 Jun 10, Gulf News
Two drivers were killed in a horrific accident on Sunday evening as two trailers collided head on along the Al Ain-Abu Dhabi route, Abu Dhabi police said.

Motorcyclist crashes into oncoming vehicle
29 Jun 10, Gulf News
An Egyptian man was killed on Monday afternoon when his motorcycle crashed into an oncoming vehicle, a senior police official said.

Council launches initiative to decrease road deaths
29 Jun 10, Gulf News
In an effort to keep streets in Abu Dhabi safer, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) has launched an initiative, Salama (meaning safety in Arabic), that is to educate students about driving and road safety for a period of two weeks.

American Hospital Dubai introduces new car baby seat policy to protect all newborns
28 Jun 10, AME Info
Under the new policy, all newborns must now be transported securely in a car baby seat when they leave the hospital. Twins born at the Hospital (the American Hospital Dubai delivers 23 sets of twins a year on average) will be provided with car baby seats free of charge.

Sharjah launches traffic initiative
27 Jun 10, Gulf News
Police have launched a year-long road safety awareness campaign, “Road Safety-It’s No Accident”, to curb the number of accidents among drivers below the age of 30.

Abu Dhabi cracks down on vehicles with bad tyres
26 Jun 10, Gulf News
The Department of Traffic and Patrols at Abu Dhabi Police seized about 12,605 vehicles for using bad tyres over the last five months. Colonel Khamis Eshaq Mohammad, deputy director of the department, said bursting tyres can cause serious accidents, which can lead to death and critical injuries, especially on highways.

One killed and five injured in three road accidents
24 Jun 10, Gulf News
At least one person has been killed and five other injured in three separate accidents in Abu Dhabi in the past two days, the police said. An Arab driver was killed and five others, including three women, were injured in the accidents.

Hospital gives newborns free car seats
24 Jun 10, Emirates Business 24/7
Corniche Hospital and National Health Insurance Company – Daman began distributing free car seats this week to all new parents at Corniche Hospital, as part of its First Ride is a Safe Ride initiative.

Driver jailed for injuring RTA official
22 Jun 10, Gulf News
An Asian driver has been jailed and fined for knocking down and injuring a Roads and Transport Authority's (RTA) inspector, who was trying to register a case against him for carpooling. Traffic presecutors charged M.A.M. with reckless driving, failing to watch out for safety of pedestrains and accidentally hitting the Emirati RTA inspector with the car and injuring him. He was also charged with escaping from the site of the accident which involved injuries.

Two Emirati men killed in Al Ain road crash
22 Jun 10, Gulf News
Two Emirati men were killed in a horrifying road crash in Al Ain yesterday. The crash happened when the vehicle in which they were travelling overturned.

Dubai police targets zero road deaths by 2020
20 Jun 10, Arabian Business
Dubai’s police chief has dismissed suggestions that fines issued for traffic violations are a moneymaking device, and outlined an ambitious scheme to reduce road accident fatalities in the emirate to zero by 2020. “In 2008 we managed to decrease the number of accidents, saving 69 lives,” Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim told Arabian Business in an interview. “The following year we managed to save another 38 lives, because of speed cameras that are enforcing reduced speeds. We attribute saving those lives to speed cameras and fines.

Dubai police chief tells of 'deep anger' over stunt driving
20 Jun 10, Arabian Business
Dubai’s police chief has slammed the antics of the Emirati motorists caught on camera ‘stunt’ driving on Sheikh Zayed Road, and spoken of his anger at their behaviour. “As a police officer I was deeply angered; that is why we elevated the gravity of that particular incident as an offence to a criminal one,” Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim told Arabian Business in an interview. “It is a very dangerous thing to do on the roads, endangering lives in such a reckless way.”

66 killed in road accidents in Oman in May
19 Jun 10, Gulf News
Six people were killed in road accidents during the second week of this month, the Royal Oman Police have reported. In May, however, 66 people were killed and 976 injured, the police said.

Oman: Number of road accidents down
19 Jun 10, Oman Daily Observer
The weekly bulletin of the Directorate-General of Traffic indicates that the number of road accidents came down remarkably last week. The 165 road accidents, which happened between June 5 to 11, caused the running down of 22 pedestrians, but only six people died, 213 others sustained various injuries.

Motorist detained for reckless driving
17 Jun 10, Gulf News
A driver has been detained for reckless driving and jumping a red light before hitting another vehicle, which skidded 17 metres across and knocked down a pedestrian, who sustained critical injuries.

RTA mulls age limit for professional drivers
16 Jun 10, Khaleej Times
Maximum age limit for professional drivers, declaration of medical conditions, submission of fitness certificates are some of the proposed changes to the law on issuing driving licence. The Licensing Agency at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has been considering some of the above changes for some time now.

Call to end illegal Bahrain street racing
15 Jun 10, Arabian Business
Bahrain official have called for more action to prevent young drivers staging illegal night time races down the main Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway. According to a report in the Gulf Daily News, the youngsters take over the road in Hamad Town between midnight and 4am on a daily basis to carry out their reckless stunts.

RTA ropes in people for road safety campaign
15 Jun 10, Gulf News
Through its ‘Madinati’ scheme launched to promote the principle of community partnership, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has managed to raise awareness levels on the need for traffic safety across all segments of the community in line with its ultimate goal of preserving the integrity of road users and public properties.

Young drivers reluctant to quit fast lane
13 Jun 10, The National
Mohammed Ebrahim paid about Dh7,000 in traffic fines last year – most of them for speeding. The 21-year-old Emirati student knows he has to slow down to become a safe driver, but insists he has already rid himself of other dangerous habits, such as driving aggressively. “I am not an aggressive driver and I do not intimidate other drivers on the road,” he said.

Dubai traffic prosecutors to get tougher on unsafe drivers
13 Jun 10, Gulf News
Dubai traffic prosecutors are sternly determined, as part of their strategic goals, to prosecute reckless and unsafe drivers and reduce fatal accidents across the streets of the emirate.

200 more officers to ensure road safety
12 Jun 10, Gulf News
Abu Dhabi: More than 200 non-commissioned officers and personnel have completed theoretical and practical training on traffic and patrols, at the Al Ain Traffic Institute, as part of the Abu Dhabi Police's plan to ensure greater road safety.

12 killed in 127 vehicle collisions in Oman
12 Jun 10, Gulf News
At least 12 people were killed and 152 injured in 127 car accidents in Oman between May 29 and June 4, according to a Royal Oman Police statement.

Police warn motorists against stunt driving
11 Jun 10, Gulf News
A motorist has been fined and his vehicle confiscated for performing stunts in Al Warqaa and endangering the lives of other road users. With the Fifa World Cup set to begin today, police have cautioned motorists against committing such reckless acts on the road.

Qatar launches new unit to improve road safety
09 Jun 10, Arabian Business
Qatar is setting up a new research centre in an effort to improve its cityies' traffic systems and road safety, it was reported on Wednesday.

New GPS discs to allow Bahrain police to track all vehicles
09 Jun 10, Arabian Business
Bahraini police will be able to track every vehicle in the kingdom at the end of the year when new registration discs containing microchips are introduced. The new registration badges, containing Global Positioning Satellite technology, will replace the current discs displayed on the windscreens of all registered vehicles, the Gulf Daily News reports

10 killed in Oman car crashes in a week
06 Jun 10, Gulf News
Ten people were killed in car crashes in Oman between May 22 and 28, according to a press release by the Royal Oman Police (ROP).

Abu Dhabi cracks down on unsafe vehicles
03 Jun 10, Gulf News
Driving unsafe vehicles caused over 468 accidents last year, claiming 30 lives and injuring 170 others, the Interior Ministry said. Traffic police across the country have intensified their crackdown on unsafe and poorly maintained vehicles as a three-month awareness campaign kicked off, officials announced yesterday. The campaign runs from June 1 to August 31under the slogan “A safe vehicle – safe arrival”.

More than 80% urge action over Dubai road safety
03 Jun 10, Arabian Business
More than 80 percent of people think new measures should be brought in to improve driving standards on Dubai’s roads, the latest Arabian Business poll has found. According to the online survey, 53.2 percent of people think more traffic police are needed to reduce the number of violations, like speeding and tail-gaiting, which cause accidents.

Dubai Police focus on tyres in summer safety campaign
02 Jun 10, Gulf News
Dubai Police has urged land travelers to ensure that their cars and tyres are in good condition before embarking on their long trips, as part of its yearly summer road safety campaign.

Jordan: Seven killed, dozens injured in car-bus collision
01 Jun 10, Jordan Times
Seven people were killed and 45 others injured on Monday in a three-vehicle collision on the Zarqa- Amman highway, official sources said.

Three people injured in 2 car crashes in Dubai
31 May 10, Gulf News
Three people were injured Monday in two separate car crashes in Dubai. The first crash took place on Dubai Ring Road when F.L., the 30-year-old driver of a salon car was speeding and not keeping a safe distance between his car and a truck ahead of him. The second accident took place on Meydan Road in the direction leading towards Safa Park, when S.M was speeding over the bridge leading to Sheikh Zayed Road.

Husband, wife killed in Sheikh Zayed Road car crash
29 May 10, Gulf News
A husband and wife died, while their son and his uncle were injured after their car crashed into a street-cleaning vehicle on Sheikh Zayed Road yesterday afternoon.

Oman road accidents kill 15 people
29 May 10, Gulf News
Fifteen people were killed and 276 injured in 200 road accidents in a week in Oman, according to a weekly report released by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) on Friday.

Driver without licence killed in road accident
27 May 10, Gulf News
Ras Al Khaimah: A Bangladeshi national was killed in a road accident yesterday when his vehicle rammed into a lamp post in a remote area of Adhan. The 26-year-old victim, M.A, does not hold a driving licence.

Two Emiratis arrested over SZR stunts
25 May 10, Emirates Business 24/7
Dubai police has arrested two daredevil drivers who were filmed performing dangerous stunts on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Two killed in crash on Sheikh Zayed Road
23 May 10, Gulf News
Two people were killed and a third sustained serious injuries when their sports car hit a truck on Sheikh Zayed Road on Sunday. Police said the driver of the car was speeding before losing control of the vehicle and hitting the truck from behind.

Crackdown targets reckless bikers in residential areas
22 May 10, Gulf News
Police are cracking down on reckless bikers who perform stunts in residential areas and pose a hazard to pedestrians.

Court hands three month term fine to a man in hit-and-run case
21 May 10, Gulf News
The Ras Al Khaimah Traffic Court has jailed and fined an Emirati in a hit-andrun case and also fined two of his friends for helping him to hide the car used in the accident. A senior court official said that the Emirati was sentenced to three months imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of Dh20,000. The Emirati was accused in the hit-and-run case where he hit an Asian riding a motorcycle and fled the scene.

More than 4,400 fines issued in 23 days for reckless driving
21 May 10, Gulf News
More than 4,400 fines were issued and 48 vehicles were seized after only 23 days of launching the campaign against aggressive driving by Dubai Police’s traffic department.

Sheikh Zayed Road stunts shock residents
20 May 10, Emirates Business 24/7
A group of reckless drivers have been caught on camera deliberately spinning and skidding across the highway and weaving their way through six lanes of traffic. The video clip titled “Sheikh Zayed Road Madness!” has been posted on YouTube and lasts two minutes and 43 seconds. It shows other drivers desperately trying to get out of the reckless drivers’ path in order to avoid a pile-up.

Two injured in car crash on Dubai's Al Khail road
19 May 10, Gulf News
Two people sustained moderate injuries when two cars collided on Al Khail road on Wednesday, a Bur Dubai traffic control official said. The two injured in the crash have been taken to hospital. Police said the driver of the four-wheel drive vehicle was speeding and failed to leave a safe distance between the vehicle and the car ahead of it, hitting the other car and causing it to overturn and hit a barrier.

RAK road dubbed 'Death Row' claims life of man aged 76 as car hits mountain
19 May 10, The National
An Emirati man has died and his brother has been severely injured in the most recent crash on the Dibba-Masafi road, known locally as “Death Row” due to the high number of accidents that take place on it.

Car crashes into Sharjah lamp post, one injured
19 May 10, Gulf News
A vehicle crashed into a lamp post on University City Road, near the Australian School on Wednesday, injuring at least one person. Anjad patrols rushed to the scene and rescued the passenger, who sustained moderate injuries. Lieutenant Colonel Ahmad Bin Darwish, Head of Anjad at Sharjah Police, said that the crash was caused due to speeding.

Sharjah Police seize trucks with faulty tyres
19 May 10, Gulf News
Police have seized 1,099 trucks in one month during an inspection campaign against faulty tyres in a bid to curb the number of accidents in the emirate. Faulty tyres are one of the main causes of accidents, particularly along Emirates Road, as they burst on the highway and ultimately cause severe traffic congestion.

Mideast roads are second most dangerous in world
18 May 10, Arabian Business
Roads in the Middle East are the second most dangerous in the world, with 18 of every 100,000 people losing their lives in crashes, a top official has said. The region's roads ranked second globally behind Africa, according to Robert Marks, a senior official of International Safety Council, during a visit to Doha.

69 killed in road accidents in Oman in April
15 May 10, Gulf News
Fatalities on Oman’s roads continue to be a matter of concern for the authorities as 69 people lost their lives in 633 accidents across the country in April, according to statistics released by the Royal Oman Police.

Safe driving campaign on track
14 May 10, Gulf News
Over 2,800 fines were issued during a week in a campaign launched to spread safe driving habits among motorists. The campaign, which was launched early last week, focused on reckless driving habits on highways and will continue until May 20, said Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of the Traffic General Department of Dubai Police.

One dead as car hits camel, taxi
14 May 10, Gulf News
An Emirati dies after his car hit a camel and a taxi on Masafi road yesterday. A senior officer at the RAK Traffic and Licensing Department said that the 41-year-old victim identified as O.A was pronounced dead on the spot.

10-year-old boy hit by car at zebra crossing in front of Abu Dhabi school
12 May 10, Gulf News
Abu Dhabi Police have called on parents and school authorities to be more vigilant, so as to prevent accidents when pupils cross busy streets near schools, unattended.

Bahrain to toughen penalty for drivers using mobiles
09 May 10, Khaleej Times
Bahrain considers stricter penalties for motorists using hand-held mobile phones while driving. The current penalty is BD5 fine and in some cases driving license could be suspended for 30 days. However, the authorities consider revising the penalty to a fine of up to BD500 and six-month jail term.

Oman: 15 die in road accidents this week
08 May 10, Gulf News
Fifteen people died in Oman this week due to road accidents, according to a press release from Royal Oman Police (ROP) Saturday.

Sharjah car crash kills three family members
08 May 10, The National
Three members of an Emirati family died and one was badly injured after a car crash on the Maliha Road on Thursday night. The dead were identified as Salem al Kaabi, 60, his son Juma al Kaabi, 30, and his nephew Saeed Salim, also 30. According to Col Ahmed bin Darwish, the head of the Sharjah Police patrol unit, the cause of the accident was excessive speed.

Dubai Police unveil new traffic safety strategy
04 May 10, Gulf News
A new traffic safety strategy is set to establish a challenging record of reducing fatalities to zero for every 100,000 of the population in Dubai by 2020, said the Chief of Dubai Police.

Major changes proposed in driving syllabus
04 May 10, Khaleej Times
Night training, highway lessons and Novice Driving Programme are some of the proposed features of a new driving curriculum that RTA is planning to introduce soon. The RTA is proposing some of the Novice Driving Programme to be implemented at the federal level, while also working with the five driving institutes in Dubai to iron out a unified syllabus for all the institutes.

Woman killed in Dubai as speeding vehicle crashes into parked car
03 May 10, Gulf News
A 27-year-old Lebanese woman was killed in a car accident last Friday on Business Bay Bridge. The family parked on the side of the road to catch up with a friend, when a speeding vehicle driven by a 19-year-old Emirati crashed into the parked car.

Man killed by speeding vehicle
30 Apr 10, Gulf News
Ras Al Khaimah: A speeding car ran over a Bangladeshi national yesterday in Al Fillayah and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. A senior officer at the Traffic and Licensing Department said that the 58-year-old victim identified as S.Kh was crossing the street early in the morning at around 2am when the accident took place.

Police crackdown on tinted curtained buses
28 Apr 10, Gulf News
Schools must get the permission from the authorities to have curtains or have the windows of their buses tinted. According to the Federal Traffic Law, schools must secure approval from the traffic department in the emirate where it operates.

Two jailed for reckless driving manslaughter
27 Apr 10, Gulf News
Two Emirati students were recently given three-month jail terms for racing each other in "unlawfully customized" vehicles and accidentally causing a man's death.

120,000 traffic violations reported in Q1 in Abu Dhabi
26 Apr 10, Arabian Business
A total of 120,902 traffic violations were recorded by police in Abu Dhabi during the first quarter of 2010. Heading the list of violations in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Western Region were seat belt offences which totalled more than 13,000, Colonel Khamis Ishaq Mohammed, deputy director of the traffic department, said without giving details of figures for the same period last year.

A need for speed
25 Apr 10, Gulf News
Despite extensive safe driving campaigns and alarming car accident fatality figures coming out of the UAE, there is still a section of the youth population thriving on the adrenaline rush of fast driving and dangerous manoeuvres. Some have even gone as far as illegally faking Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) identification to close off roads, turning them into drag racing strips or drifting circuits.

Two killed, five injured in separate road accidents
22 Apr 10, Gulf News
Two people were killed and five others sustained injuries in separate road accidents in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. One man died and four others were injured as their vehicle overturned on Butair road in Bani Yas Island yesterday.

Ten injured in six car pile-up in Ghantoot
22 Apr 10, Gulf News
Ten people were injured in a six car pile-up in Ghantoot along the Abu Dhabi–Dubai highway, the police said.

Saudi hospitals struggling to cope with traffic victims
22 Apr 10, Arabian Business
Saudi Arabian hospitals are struggling to cope with the huge number of people injured in road traffic accidents, top officials have warned. About one third of all hospital beds in the kingdom are occupied by road accident victims, Ali Al-Ghamdi, professor of traffic and transport engineering at King Saud University, told a press conference in Jeddah.

Entire police force to watch roads for unsafe drivers
22 Apr 10, Gulf News
Drivers beware. The next time you weave through lanes, be aware that chances are now greater for a police officer to flag you down for violating Dubai's traffic rules. A new rule implemented beginning this week gives the approximately 20,000 members of the Dubai Police force the authority to issue traffic fines and impound vehicles whose registration has expired.

Bahrain Reports Road Accident Losses
21 Apr 10, Road Traffic Technology
The 76 fatal accidents on Bahrain's roads are estimated to have cost the economy around BD500,000 ($1m) in 2009, according to the country's latest Traffic Directorate statistics. An accident occurred every 6.7 minutes in Bahrain in 2009.

Bahrain's most dangerous road last year revealed
18 Apr 10, Arabian Business
The high rate of traffic accidents – estimated to be as much as one every 6.7 minutes – has cost Bahrain’s economy more than BD500,000 last year.

No let up in road related fatalities in Oman
17 Apr 10, Gulf News
A total of 70 people perished in road accidents across the sultanate during the month of March, underscoring the challenges faced by authorities in enhancing road safety.

Abu Dhabi: Campaign launched for safe crossing
15 Apr 10, Gulf News
Abu Dhabi Police Station has launched a campaign for safe street crossing. The campaign will take place along some of the main roads from April 16 to 18 and aims to raise awareness to help prevent accidents that occur at intersections and traffic lights.

Qatar: 30% increase in traffic violations
14 Apr 10, The Peninsula
The latest statistics of the Traffic Department reveal a 30 percent increase in violations, Al Sharq reported yesterday quoting a source from the Department. The rise has been attribute to the fact that more number of violations have now been detected after installation of radars on all major highways, streets, intersections and underpasses.

Road fatalities in Abu Dhabi fall 21% in first three months
11 Apr 10, Gulf News
Road fatalities fell by 21 percent in Abu Dhabi during the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, police said in a statement released yesterday. Colonel Hussain Ahmad Al Harthi, Director of the Abu Dhabi Traffic and Patrols Department, said 93 people died in traffic accidents over the past three months – a 21 percent fall compared to the same period in 2009, which saw the death of 118 people.

Saudi Arabia launches new road safety campaign
11 Apr 10, Arabian Business
Saudi Arabia, which has one of the world’s worst records for road crash fatalities, is to launch a new safety campaign, it was reported on Sunday. Major General Suleiman Al-Ajlan announced that the traffic department will start implementing the new initiative entitled “Salamati” in all parts of the kingdom on Monday.

Call for trauma centres in rural areas
11 Apr 10, The National
More specialist trauma centres were yesterday urged for rural areas to reduce highway fatalities. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Interior yesterday, road deaths in the emirate have fallen by more than 20 percent in the first quarter of this year, compared to 2009. Ninetythree people died this year compared to 118 in the same period last year.

Corniche Hospital to give out free car seats
10 Apr 10, The National
From June, every newborn will leave the country’s largest maternity hospital secured in a free child safety seat. Corniche Hospital, which delivers 10,000 babies a year, will be the first public hospital in the emirate to enact the car-seat discharge policy. The plan is to distribute about 7,200 child seats at no charge.

Lebanon: Accidents along Sidon, Tyre highway prompt uproar
09 Apr 10, The Daily Star
Issam al-Khodry yelled in anger as he changed his car’s flat tire on the Sidon-Tyre highway. He called truck drivers “immoral and inhumane” and blamed them for most road accidents that occur in the south. The Internal Security Forces (ISF) recently issued a report saying 17 people have been killed and 172 have been injured in road accidents in Sidon, Tyre and Nabatieh since the beginning of 2010.

Man reverses car over toddler in Muscat
06 Apr 10, Gulf News
A motorist reversing his car at a filling station found to his horror that he had run over a small child, the Royal Oman Police said on Monday. The accident was the most appalling in a series of deadly road mishaps in the past few days in Muscat.

Traffic violators will be relentlessly pursued
04 Apr 10, Gulf News
A senior official has called on drivers and other road-users to follow traffic rules. "We call on motorists to respect and commit themselves to traffic laws and regulations and maintain excellent road manners and respect all road users," Chief Traffic Prosecutor Salah Bu Farousha, Head of Dubai Traffic Public Prosecution, said Saturday.

Gulf News worker killed in Abu Dhabi car crash
03 Apr 10, Gulf News
A Gulf News distributor was killed in a car crash in Ruwais yesterday, about a kilometre from where six people died in another crash last week. Mohammad Nazimudeen, 32, a Bangladeshi national, died in the accident about 4,30am as his car swerved off the road and hit a date palm tree, Abu Dhabi Police said.

Two crushed to death on highway while changing tyre
01 Apr 10, Gulf News
Two men were crushed to death as a truck rammed into them while they were changing flat tyres by the roadside, officials told Gulf News yesterday. One of the victims stopped to help the other, after he saw a driver attending to a flat tyre. The gruesome crash happened on Monday, close to 6pm, in Al Faya, on the Al Ain-Abu Dhabi highway, an Abu Dhabi police official said.

BMW Group road safety awareness days to promote the use of child restraints
31 Mar 10, AME Info
As part of its 'Stay Alert. Stay Alive' road safety campaign launched in the UAE last week aimed at educating families about the importance of wearing seat belts and using child safety restraints in vehicles, BMW Group Middle East, supported by the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD), the Road and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA), Abu Dhabi Municipality and Dubai Municipality, has announced it will be hosting two road safety public awareness days.

More than 450 speeding motorists caught on hidden radars in Al Ain
31 Mar 10, Gulf News
Hundreds of motorists with no respect for the speed limit had to pay penalties as traffic police caught them on hidden radars on various streets in the city.

Victims of Al Ruwais bus crash identified - police
31 Mar 10, Gulf News
All six people who perished in the Ruwais accident were Indian workers, an Abu Dhabi police official told Gulf News yesterday.

Six killed, 44 injured in Ruwais crash
30 Mar 10, Gulf News
Six people died and 44 were injured in an early morning accident on Monday near Ruwais, about 240km west of Abu Dhabi city, the police have said. All those involved in the accident were Asian workers

Study seeks increasing range of speed cameras
29 Mar 10, Gulf News
Speed cameras are highly effective in reducing crashes and increasing their range will help put the brakes on speeding motorists, a study prepared by the Department of Transport has found.

Talks underway over medical tests for some Dubai drivers
29 Mar 10, Arabian Business
Health and transport officials are in talks over plans to require certain motorists to pass a medical test prior to them being granted a licence, it has been reported.

Al Ain: Oasis City residents lose sleep over reckless motorists who pose a threat
27 Mar 10, Gulf News
Careless drivers have been threatening public safety by violating traffic rules. Red light jumping, usurping others’ rights at roundabouts, abrupt lane changing, speeding and wrong parking are common, residents of the Oasis City said, while requesting police to check the menace.

Speeding truck driver burns to death
25 Mar 10, 7 Days
Police have blamed reckless driving and speeding for a crash in which a driver burned to death. The driver of the oil tanker died and three other people were injured when his vehicle crashed into into three trucks on Emirates Road on Monday night.

Plan to fine speeding drivers based on salary
25 Mar 10, Arabian Business
Speeding drivers could be fined according to how much they earn under tough new proposals aiming to make Dubai’s roads safer.

More traffic calming measures around schools urged
25 Mar 10, Arabian Business
A report into the causes of child deaths in the UAE has recommended the introduction of laws requiring children to ride in child car seats and increased traffic calming measures be brought in around schools.

Qatar: New traffic law gives more teeth to police
24 Mar 10, The Peninsula
Traffic policemen have been given the power to settle disputes arising from road accidents in which damage claims are not worth more than QR10,000.

Oman: Social, economic repercussions of road accidents to be discussed
24 Mar 10, Khaleej Times
The social and economic repercussions of the mounting incidence of traffic accidents in Oman will be discussed in-depth at a first-of-its-kind national symposium here in May.

Calls for child seatbelts to be made mandatory
23 Mar 10, Arabian Business
The UAE needs to tighten up its laws in relation to seat belts, government and business officials said at a road safety press conference in Dubai on Tuesday.

No excuse accepted for jumping red lights
23 Mar 10, Gulf News
No justification will be accepted for jumping a red traffic signal including such excuses as the driver is transferring a patient to a hospital, said a senior Traffic official at Dubai Police.

Cyclist killed in road accident
22 Mar 10, 7 Days
A cyclist was killed after colliding with a car in the Al Safa area yesterday. The accident happened about 3pm and was witnessed by residents in 18C Street, close to Dubai English College and running parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road.

Legal driving age to stay at 18
22 Mar 10, The National
After months of discussion and study, UAE traffic officials have made a decision on the minimum driving age: it will stay the same. “The current legal age, 18, is the most ideal for us,” Brig Gen Ghaith al Zaabi, head of traffic at the Ministry of Interior, said yesterday after a workshop on the perfect age for driving.

Jordan: Ministry to overhaul legislation to ensure safe roads
22 Mar 10, Jordan Times
The Ministry of Public Works and Housing on Sunday said it will raise fines for violations on the Kingdom's roads as part of an overall review of legislation governing roads.

Radar system nabs 400 bad drivers in Abu Dhabi
21 Mar 10, Gulf News
A total of 400 motorists were fined for driving dangerously in the emirate over the past two weeks, after being caught by the new radar system called "Sniper".

Saudi Arabia: Establishment of traffic courts recommended
21 Mar 10, Arabian Business
In a recent conference held in Riyadh, the directors of traffic from across Saudi Arabia recommended that traffic courts be established in the kingdom.

Children drive cars to school in Ajman
18 Mar 10, Gulf News
In a shocking development, children here have been found driving to school in their parents' cars, the principal of a girl's school alleged.

Drivers with clean records to get car insurance discounts
18 Mar 10, Gulf News
Safe drivers in the UAE will soon enjoy discounts from car insurers and could earn up to a year's free insurance if clean traffic records are maintained, officials have disclosed.

Seven injured in Ras Al Khaimah road crash
17 Mar 10, Gulf News
Seven people were hospitalised with serious injuries when their vehicles crashed into each other on Al Fahlain main road.

Police use shock tactics to help curb road deaths
17 Mar 10, The National
Police are using gruesome newspaper adverts to convince motorists of the dangers of reckless driving. The pictures show the effects of road crashes, including some horrific injuries

Strategy to cut Dubai road fatalities
15 Mar 10, Emirates Business 24/7
The road accident fatality rate in Dubai has fallen from 21 to 12.7 cases per 100,000 population, said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). And, in a speech to mark the start of GCC Traffic Week, he added that the authority had taken action to improve safety at 120 accident blackspots.

RTA Steps Up Initiative to Create Safety Norms
15 Mar 10, Khaleej Times
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will step up its initiative to make the public aware of the need for awareness and safety norms, Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of RTA, said while launching the GCC Traffic Week campaign

Qatar: Need for tougher traffic penalties stressed
15 Mar 10, The Peninsula
Traffic authorities agree with the Advisory Council that tougher regulations are needed to deter motorists from jumping traffic lights. The Advisory Council has recently suggested that a motorist who jumps traffic lights be immediately referred to Public Prosecution for interrogation and charge-sheeting

Police unveil plan for city where children can drive
15 Mar 10, Arabian Business
In a bid to teach good driving skills from an early age, Abu Dhabi Police on Sunday unveiled Traffic City – a police-monitored town where children as young as five can drive cars on real roads.

RTA chief hails 40% drop in Dubai road deaths
14 Mar 10, Arabian Business
Road deaths in Dubai have fallen by up to 40 percent since 2005 and the emirate's transport chief said on Sunday that levels would be comparable to the safest cities in the world by 2015.

17 deaths a day reported on Saudi roads - study
14 Mar 10, Arabian Business
An average of 17 people die on the roads of Saudi Arabia each day, according to a report by the General Directorate of Traffic.

Abu Dhabi campaign targets drivers using mobile phones
13 Mar 10, Gulf News
Abu Dhabi Police Traffic Control has stepped up patrols to nab those who use handheld mobile phones while behind the wheel, as more studies proved that the practice is a major cause of accidents resulting in death and severe injuries

Decline in road deaths following new traffic law
13 Mar 10, Gulf News
Road deaths fell by 10.7 percent nationwide from March 2008 to March 2010 thanks to the revised federal traffic law.

One dead, 13 injured in RAK road accident
13 Mar 10, Gulf News
A Pakistani labourer died and 12 other Asians of various nationalities sustained moderate and serious injuries when a bus collided with a heavy vehicle on Al  Liwa’a Street on Saturday.

New RTA campaign to reduce accidents
13 Mar 10, Gulf News
The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is launching an awareness campaign educating motorists on how to avoid other motorists’ mistakes on the road.

Drivers urged to follow road rules as safety campaigns get into gear
12 Mar 10, Gulf News
Over 85 per cent of traffic accidents across the country are due to human error, officials have said, urging motorists to abide by road rules and regulations.

Almost 80% call for immediate child car seat law
11 Mar 10, Arabian Business
Almost 80 percent of people think it should be made illegal for children to ride in a vehicle without a proper car seat. The latest poll by Arabian Business found that an overwhelming 79.8 percent of respondents through that new mrules should be introduced ‘immediately’.

Bus Driver Dies, 30 Injured in Jebel Ali Vehicle Pileup
11 Mar 10,  Khaleej Times
A bus driver died and 30 passengers were injured in a pileup of 20 vehicles on the Emirates Road between Jebel Ali and Lihbab on Wednesday. The accident occurred because motorists were speeding in foggy conditions, police said.

Maid Killed, Boy Injured in Quad Bike Accident
11 Mar 10, Khaleej Times
A Sri Lankan housemaid was killed and a four-year old Emirati boy injured seriously after toe quad bike she was riding overturned recently.

Why wait to belt up the kids?
10 Mar 10, The National
Just more than a year ago, The National reported that the Government was considering making child safety seats compulsory. The need for such a law was, and still is, clear. Between 2000 and 2006, according to figures collated by UAE University, 460 children under the age of 14 died in car crashes, two-thirds of whom were under four years old. Abu Dhabi Health Authority figures for last year show that 44 children under 17 died on the roads in Abu Dhabi

Mother's death is tragic wake-up call for drivers
10 Mar 10, The National
The death of a female motorist who was apparently distracted by a child sitting in the front seat of her car should serve as a wake-up call for parents who fail to properly restrain young passengers, safety advocates said yesterday.

Driver dies in crash after losing control in Ras Al Khaimah
10 Mar 10, Gulf News
An Emirati died on Tuesday in a horrific road accident after he lost control of the steering. His vehicle overturned several times in the remote area of Shoukah Al Munaei, south of Ras Al Khaimah.

Mother dies, son aged 2 hurt in car crash
10 Mar 10, The National
A woman was killed and her two-year-old son was injured when their car slammed into a roadside barrier and caught fire, police said yesterday.

Traffic Law Changes among Dubai's Health Reform Plan
10 Mar 10, Khaleej Times
A comprehensive traffic law is among the sweeping reforms being proposed for the public health sector in Dubai as the government seeks to lessen the burden of injuries and diseases and improve health standards.

Free baby car seats for new parents
07 Mar 10, The National
Parents of all babies born in the capital will receive free baby car-seats later this year. The plan is part of a drive by the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) to educate parents about the risks of carrying their children in vehicles unrestrained. Up to 4,500 seats are to be handed out at every maternity ward in the city for a two-month trial period, which is expected to start in the second half of the year.

Kuwait has world's most dangerous highways
07 Mar 10, Gulf News
Traffic congestions and accidents will cost Kuwait KD 27.430 billion (Dh347,081 billion) in the next ten years as the country tries to shrug off a terrible world record.

Tiny cameras to hunt speedsters
07 Mar 10, Emirates Business 24/7
The new sophisticated compact cameras which can hardly be detected by drivers are part of a campaign by the Abu Dhabi Traffic Police to curb road violations following a 70 percent increase in speed offences in 2009.

Road hazard: Mobile menace
04 Mar 10, Gulf News
Increasing numbers of drivers are putting themselves and others at risk by flouting the ban on using mobile phones while driving, new figures reveal. The number of motorists caught making, receiving calls or even sending SMS messages while on the road more than doubled in the last two years.

Jordan: Seven dead in highway collision
04 Mar 10, Jordan Times
Seven people were killed and 11 others injured, including four critically, in a tragic road collision on Wednesday, police officials said. The accident was the result of wrongful overtaking on the part of the trailer, causing it to meet head-on with the bus

One dead, 32 injured in Abu Dhabi accidents
03 Mar 10, Emirates Business 24/7
A woman died and 32 people were injured in road accidents in Abu Dhabi early yesterday morning as torrential rain caused treacherous driving conditions. Al Mazrouei said this crash was also caused by excessive speed and the lack of adequate gap between buses.

Container truck accident in Abu Dhabi
03 Mar 10, Gulf News
A container truck was involved in an accident on Wednesday in the Mina Zayed area, resulting in heavy traffic congestion, police said. Major Mohsen Al Menhali of the highways section said the accident happened due to speeding and lack of attention despite bad weather.

Five die after SUV rams truck left parked in middle of road
02 Mar 10, Gulf News
A driver has been detained for negligently leaving his truck parked on Dubai Bypass Road's third lane and causing the death of five persons.

Motorcyclist hurt as two cars race in RAK
02 Mar 10, Gulf News
An Afghan motorcyclist suffered serious injuries yesterday after becoming trapped between two cars that were racing on Al Jolan street.

New Dubai driving test gives feedback on mistakes
01 Mar 10, The National
The Roads and Transit Authority (RTA) in Dubai has put in place a grading system for its road tests that outlines where drivers have gone wrong, with the hope that the immediate feedback will lead to safer roads and saved lives.

Driver killed as truck overturns on Dubai Bypass road
01 Mar 10, Gulf News
A 55-year-old Asian driver was killed on Monday when his truck - overloaded with construction materials - overturned on the Dubai bypass road. According to a traffic official, the accident happened at around 1pm when the speeding motorist lost control of the vehicle as he was trying to avoid hitting the road barrier.

Privacy Pledge - © copyright 2005 IIR Dubai - Contact Us

IIR Middle East is part of the Informa Group Plc.  By submitting any information to us via this website you are agreeing to allow Informa Plc to use that information for marketing purposes.  Please contact us here if you would like to opt-out from this service