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29 March 2024

Dead men walking: Asians most likely to be run over in Abu Dhabi

Published
By WAM

The number of pedestrian deaths in Abu Dhabi has gone down 20.7 per cent during the first nine months of this year, as indicated by the Committee for reducing pedestrian deaths in Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrol Directorate.

Statistics also indicated that 65 per cent of pedestrian fatalities occur among Asians, and that up to 32 per cent of run-over accidents happen in the morning, compared with 30 per cent in the evening; while 22 per cent of run-over accidents occur around noon, and 16 per cent in the afternoon.

The Committee, in its meeting held at the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrol Directorate, said that 46 deaths were reported between January 1 and  September 31, compared to 58 deaths during the same period last year, a drop of 20.7 per cent.
 
The meeting, chaired by Colonel Hamad Mubarak Al Ameri, Director General of the Capital Police Traffic Department, Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrol Directorate, was attended by Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Western Region and the Peripheral Areas Traffic department Directors.
 
During the meeting, the Committee indicated that the achieved results come in line with the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic safety Strategy to make roads safer, and complement last year's efforts, which decreased run-over accidents by 20 per cent compared with 2010.
 
The Committee reviewed the statistics indicators of run-over accidents for the past nine months, which shed light on the main reasons behind run-over fatalities, chiefly, negligence; lack of attention; failure to give priority to pedestrians crossing; misjudgment of road users; over speeding; failure to take road conditions into account, and reversing without ensuring the road is clear.

The Committee discussed the ongoing efforts with key partners, the Department of Transport and the Abu Dhabi Municipality, through the proposed study to build 17 new pedestrian footbridges inside and outside the city of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Municipality is in charge of constructing 10 of these footbridges, the other 7 are being constructed by the Department of Transport. Locations for these new pedestrian footbridges were identified based on traffic studies, to meet the needs of high-traffic in areas experiencing frequent pedestrians accidents.

The Committee reviewed the engineering efforts to improve pedestrian crossings in the city of Abu Dhabi, through 10 new pedestrian crosswalks controlled by traffic lights inside the city of Abu Dhabi. Two of these crosswalks have already been completed on Delma Street and facing the Preventive Medicine Department in Abu Dhabi. Moreover, the Committee reviewed the ongoing efforts to close the gaps in the walls on both sides of pedestrian tunnels, and installing fences on the various roads.

The Committee also shed light on the efforts exerted through the Traffic Control campaigns in the cities of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region, aimed to reduce pedestrian crossing from non-designated locations, according to the Federal Traffic Law.

On another hand, the Committee emphasized the need to intensify awareness programs, and Traffic Control campaigns to reduce pedestrian crossing from non-designated locations, as well as educate motorists on the need to give priority to pedestrians to cross.

The Committee called for increased cooperation by communicating with all sides and the various segments of society, to support efforts to reduce run-over accidents in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This can be achieved by calling on individuals to abide by awareness messages and tips, and to commit to traffic laws and instructions, such as using designated pedestrians crosswalks to avoid run-over accidents.

The new proposed pedestrian footbridges will complement the 10 footbridges already built in the city of Abu Dhabi in the following locations: across Al Muroor street at the main bus station; facing Carrefour across the Airport Road; across the Musaffah Street opposite to Dalma Mall; in Bahia; at Al Shahama across the Abu Dhabi - Dubai Road; in Al Samha; across the Abu Dhabi - Al Ain Road near Zayed University; at Bani Yas across the Abu Dhabi Road and opposite to Mushrif Mall across the Airport Street.