Dubai is planning to install 176 new speed cameras within the next 18 months as part of its long-term strategy to curb accidents and attain its target for zero deaths on its roads, its traffic police chief was reported on Monday as saying.

The new systems account for nearly 32 per cent of the total traffic police cameras already in operation in the region’s business and tourism hub, including nearly 299 fixed speed cameras, 35 mobile cameras, six road detection devices and 156 signal devices in addition to traffic signal cameras.

“The installation of the new cameras is part of the emirate’s traffic safety strategy aimed at achieving zero death per 100,000 people by 2020,” Major General Mohammed Saif Al Zafin told the semi-official daily 'Al Ittihad'.

He said the location of the new devices would be determined by indicators for areas which witness more accidents and offences, adding that the traffic police are regularly reviewing speed limits on the emirate’s streets.

“Installation of speed cameras result in most cases in reduction of speed on roads to reasonable levels and this helps curb accidents,” he said.