Abu Dhabi has a car crash every 4.5 minutes

Abu Dhabi suffered from a road mishap every 4.5 minutes in 2009 to maintain its position as having one of the highest car accident rates in the world despite extensive police measures, according to an official study.

During 2005-2009, the accidents killed 1,704 people and more than 80 per cent of them were caused by human errors, showed the study by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED).

A total 116,487 car crashes took place on the capital’s roads in 2009 and Asian and Emirati drivers emerged as the main culprits, said the study, presented to a seminar on traffic accidents on Sunday.

It proposed a series of new police measures to curb accidents along with the deployment of speed cameras and heavy fines. The measures include the creation of fixed security checkpoints on motorways, increasing licensing fees and toughening of procedures to obtain a driving licence.

“Statistics on traffic accidents in Abu Dhabi are worrying and alarming…nearly 116,487 accidents occurred last year and around 82.1 per cent of them were caused by human error,” said the study, presented by Ibrahim Al Abed, chief researcher at the studies division at ADDED.

“These figures mean that there were around 320 accidents daily last year, an average of one accident per 4.5 minutes.”

The study showed Asian expatriates, mainly Pakistanis, were responsible for 39 per cent of the mishaps in 2009 while Emiratis caused 29 per cent.

Abed said accidents have maintained their upward trend despite intensifying police measures, with the number of mishaps jumping by nearly 144 per cent in 2009 compared with 2005. Deaths caused by nearly 13,938 serious traffic accidents stood at 1,704 during 2005-2009, he said, adding the death toll last year was 144 per cent higher than in 2005.

“As for injuries, they were up by around 132 per cent in 2009 over 2005 while last year police recorded 6,804 offences involving jumping the red light, nearly 38 per cent higher than those recorded in 2005,” he said.

“But it was not only for drivers’ mistakes….our records show that 53.5 per cent of the pedestrians do not abide by crossing rules and this is considered as a main reason for the increase in road accidents.”

Abed presented a set of proposals for the traffic police to lessen road mishaps, including the setting up of what he described as “fixed security points” within 10-15 km of each other on motorways and other key roads. He said such points should be backed up by police car patrols on both directions.

Another proposal includes a gradual increase in driving licence fees and car insurance premiums for those responsible for a number of accidents in one year.

Abed also urged competent establishments to devise traffic education programmes in collaboration with the traffic police and suggested the inclusion of traffic rules in school and university syllabi.

He also called for expanding penalties against traffic offenders, including voluntary work in public for specific periods.

“There should also be tougher procedures for obtaining driving licences …for example, a conditional licence should be given to those who pass the test for the first time…in this case, these new drivers can be monitored by the traffic police to ensure they abide by road regulations…in case, they cause more than an accident per year, they should be subject to test again.”

In another study, a traffic police researcher said 177 people were killed and 200 injured in around 1,264 serious car crashes in the first half of this year. Traffic police also issued nearly 1.24 million offences during that period.

“The number of road deaths in Abu Dhabi is considered very high compared to the emirate’s population,” Atef Ghareeb said in his study.

Another study presented to the seminar estimated the total direct financial losses caused by traffic accidents in Abu Dhabi last year at Dh371 million.

They include losses resulting from crashed cars, damaged property, bloody money paid for victims and other costs.

“Total direct and indirect economic losses resulting from those accidents in the UAE were estimated at Dh16.6 billion in 2009….this accounts for nearly 18 per cent of the total losses resulting from road accidents in the Arab world.”

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