19% drop in deaths on Abu Dhabi roads in 2012

The Traffic and Patrols Directorate of the Abu Dhabi Police has announced a significant improvement in traffic safety indicators in the emirate during 2012 compared to 2011.

The number of accidents declined  by 10 per cent, which led to a reduction of fatalities and run-over accidents by 19 per cent and 14 per cent respectively. These results were achieved despite the six per cent increase in the number of vehicles and an eight per cent increase in the number of registered drivers.

These figures were announced by Brigadier Hussein Ahmed Al Harthi, Director of Traffic and Patrols Directorate, at a press conference in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Reviewing the achievements made during 2010-2012, Al Harthi said the past three years saw improvement in traffic safety, which include reductions in traffic accidents with injuries by 33 per cent, deaths by 34 per cent, serious injuries by 25 per cent, UAE national deaths in traffic accidents by 17 per cent, deaths per 100,000 inhabitants by 35 per cent, deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles in Abu Dhabi by 46 per cent, and deaths per 10,000 inhabitants  who have driving licence by 50 per cent.

The main achievements of 2012 compared to the previous year were the reduction of deaths on peripheral roads by 33 per cent, accidents’ severity by 13 per cent, accidents due to speeding by 23 per cent and accidents due to neglect and lack of attention by 12 per cent, he said.

Al Harthi the main negative features of 2012  were the increase in traffic accidents due to crossing red lights by 22 per cent, not leaving safe distance between vehicles by 11 per cent, deaths among UAE nationals by four per cent, and the number of individuals with 3-5 years of driving experience who caused accidents by 25 per cent.

Al Harthi discussed the levels of traffic safety in Abu Dhabi in comparison to local, regional and global indicators through a presentation titled: “Traffic Safety in Abu Dhabi: Current Status and Future Visions.”

 The presentation included an explanation of the size of the traffic safety problem, which results in 1.5 million deaths and 50 million disabilities worldwide annually, in addition to the worldwide annual economic loss amounting to $520 billion. He also spoke of statistics in the Arab world that indicates 0.5 million accidents annually, 400,000 injured, and more that 36,000 deaths. Another comparison on accidents in the UAE during 2012 was also discussed.

Al Harthi also highlighted the Traffic and Patrols Directorate’s focus on implementing a comprehensive traffic procedures plan called the Abu Dhabi Integrated Plan (5ES+I) – also named (5E+i) by the directorate- that is based on: traffic control, education and awareness, engineering enhancements, quick response, and evaluation.

The plan aims to improve behaviour of road users, implement safety rules and increase traffic awareness.

“The celebrations of the 29th Traffic Week in Abu Dhabi, which is organised under the title ‘Your Safety is Our Goal’, will see the launch of new initiatives that will help us to reduce traffic accidents,” he said.

Al Harthi also said: “The Traffic and Patrols Directorate in Abu Dhabi Police will carry out a number of initiatives and activities to improve traffic safety in 2013. The directorate will also boost traffic control using on-duty police officers and complete the installation of speed control devices (radars) and traffic lights. It will constantly review and assess the speed limits on the radars.”

“The smart traffic systems centre, which was initiated by the directorate at the beginning of 2013 and is expected to run during this year, is best of its kind across the world. It will greatly help to improve traffic management and traffic safety systems, resulting in the development of good traffic practices. The centre will integrate with traffic control centres across the emirate. The smart traffic systems centre and the traffic control centres across the emirate have different work fields that complement and complete each other,” he added.

At the conference, Al Harthi explained the vision of the directorate to improve traffic safety through the reduction of traffic fatalities by not less than four per cent annually, starting from the base year (2010), aiming to reach the Zero Vision 2030. “The directorate was able to reduce deaths with rates larger than the targets, as the fatality rate  dropped by 34 per cent within three years,” he explained.

Al Harthi continued: “Since the beginning of the year, the directorate executed 20 traffic programmes to educate all society segments, optimise the road users’ behaviour, and increase public awareness. Programmes focused on seatbelt use, speed reduction, safe road crossing, and red light issues. The directorate urged road users to maintain a safe distance between vehicles, avoid suddenly veering off course, and stay alert while driving, as well as minding other dangers that lead to traffic accidents. Last year, the directorate carried out 766 lectures, education points, and traffic exhibitions benefitting 63,562 persons; this effort amounted to a rate of two programmes per day.

At the conference, the director of Traffic and Patrols Directorate reviewed the achievements of the Abu Dhabi Traffic programme to reduce traffic accidents through its campaign ‘Together’ on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Different social segments were evaluated. Participation, comments and views on Facebook amounted to 6,234,347 views. Followers on Facebook totalled 1,412 users, while awareness messages through Twitter reached 800 users. Approximately 6,500 people used YouTube to watch campaign-related videos.

Al Harthi said: “The Traffic and Patrols Directorate in Abu Dhabi Police is working different private and public institutions and companies. The directorate is cooperating with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), and the Family Development Foundation (FDF).

“The Traffic and Patrols Directorate has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Al-Futtaim Motors. The agreement aims to allow the latter, as a platinum sponsor of the Abu Dhabi Traffic Initiative to Put a Limit to Traffic Accidents (Together), to support the activities of Gulf Traffic Week,” he added.

Yousuf Al Ra’isi, General Manager, Government Relations, Al Futtaim Motors, extended his gratitude to the Traffic and Patrols Directorate for giving them the opportunity to participate in the awareness campaign as a platinum sponsor for the initiative.

 

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