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Traffic accidents drop across UAE by 23% in past three years [Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates)]
[March 09, 2014]

Traffic accidents drop across UAE by 23% in past three years [Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates)]


(Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) MoI is working hard to reach an average of 5.50 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the 2014-2016 strategy.

Traffic accidents at the countrywide level have dropped by 23.52 per cent in the past three years, according to Brigadier Gaith Hassan Al Zaabi, Director-General of the Traffic Coordination Department at the Ministry of Interior (MoI).

He was speaking at a recently held a Press conference at the Directorate General of Electronics and Telecommunications Services ahead of the "Unified GCC Traffic Week 2014" that starts today across the country and all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.Brigadier Al Zaabi said: "Traffic accidents in the past three years have gone down from 6,700 in 2011 to 5,124 accidents in 2013. Due to this decline, the number of accident fatalities have gone down from 720 in 2011 to 651 in 2013, a drop of 9.58 per cent." The strategy adopted by the MoI to reduce traffic accident fatalities has improved road safety during 2013. Traffic-related fatalities rate in the UAE was 6.52 per 100,000 people; accordingly, the UAE was cited as having a high proportion of fatalities caused by road accidents, among nations with the maximum number of car-accident deaths in the world.



Moreover, he noted the MoI is working hard to reach an average of 5.50 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the 2014-2016 strategy.

"According to statistics, sudden swerving was the key reason behind traffic accidents, and accounted for 1,048 accidents. Misjudgment of road users ranked second leading to 668 accidents; followed by failure to leave sufficient safe distance between vehicles, which caused 573 accidents. Entering a road without making sure it is clear ranked fourth, causing 409 accidents, over speeding came fifth and resulted in 368 accidents, followed by lack of attention in sixth place, which led to 366 accidents." Brigadier Al Zaabi explained that the "GCC Traffic Week" events organised under the under the slogan "Your Safety is Our Goal" is the second awareness campaign for this year. It aims at promoting traffic education and intensifying efforts to reduce road accidents.


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