Road fatalities drop by 30% in Sharjah
sharjah — Deaths caused by road accidents dropped by 30 per cent during the first half of this year as compared to 2017 in the emirate of Sharjah, a recent traffic report has revealed. A total of 41 road fatalities took place in the first six months of 2018, while last year 61 such deaths were recorded in the same period.
The number of traffic accidents reduced by 34 per cent from January till June this year, as compared to first six months of last year, according to statistics released at a Press conference on Tuesday.
Indians and Pakistanis topped the list of fatalities caused by traffic accidents in Sharjah, according to the survey.
In the last six months, 20 Asians died in road accidents — 10 Indians, 7 Pakistanis and 3 Bangladeshis. The number of the road deaths among Asians was reduced drastically due to spread of awareness of traffic culture, a police official pointed out.
He said the statistics indicate that in 2017, road accidents claimed the lives of 36 people hailing from various nationalities. This included 16 Pakistanis, followed by 12 Indians and 8 Bangladeshis who died in run-over accidents. All the victims were pedestrians who were trying to cross roads from undesignated areas, the official added.
The current statistics suggest that 85 per cent of the total accidents this year occurred due to human error.
A total of 66 accidents were attributed to sudden deviation, 51 because of lack of attention while driving, 46 as motorists entered a road without checking if it was clear or blocked, 18 due to changing
of lanes in a wrong way, 11 were blamed on speeding, and 2 on jumping the red signals.
Sudden deviation is the biggest violation recorded, which entails a Dh1,000 fine and four black points.
Mohammed Allai Al Naqbi, director of the traffic and patrol department at the Sharjah Police, said starting Tuesday, the police have launched safety awareness campaigns targeting Asian nationals to reduce the number of deaths caused by accidents in the emirate.
He attributed the reduction in the number of accidents to police efforts. During the first half of the year, seven awareness campaigns were organised targeting different groups, with cooperation from 32 social institutions, including Indian and Pakistani associations.
Lt-Col Al Naqbi said the department organised 168 events and carried out 11 traffic inspections as well as crackdown campaigns aimed at ensuring the safety of road users.
The police responded to 154 road accidents and dealt with 21 maritime mishaps. The department also launched a land rescue point at Sahara Centre to support the ‘I pass safely’ initiative in order to reduce run-over accidents, he said.
Lt-Col Al Naqbi urged residents of the emirate to follow the road rules to ensure their own safety and that of others, so fatal accidents and serious injuries don’t happen.
He called on drivers to abide by traffic laws and respect road users’ rights. They should also be aware of their traffic responsibilities as well as legal repercussions and actively contribute to making the Sharjah Police’s traffic awareness programmes a success, the traffic director added.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com