Speed cameras keep Abu Dhabi streets calm

Unusual calm has started to haunt Abu Dhabi streets as reckless drivers who had wreaked road havoc appear to have been brought back to their senses by scores of speed cameras being deployed by the emirate.

Massive metal pylons fixed with tiny but advanced speed cameras have been erected on almost every road inside the Capital in the biggest drive mounted by the emirate’s traffic police to restore discipline to roads.

Police said the project, launched nearly three months ago, will ensure surveillance of all streets inside the city for the first time after previous traffic campaigns that involved heavy fines proved to be futile.

Security sources said most of the steel pylons are fitted with advanced speed cameras but some of them only have dummy cameras.

“No one will be able to distinguish between the real and dummy ones as they are tiny,” one source said. “Let’s hope all drivers will watch out this time.”

As the project nears completion, Abu Dhabi’s streets have already started to appear much less messy and police hope this will largely reduce accidents.

The emirate resorted to the extensive and costly camera system on the grounds speed has been the cause of most road mishaps in the city.

Previous measures have failed to tackle the problem as old road control systems covered only a few cameras and left many streets without surveillance.

The fixed cameras were then backed up by mobile speed cameras concealed behind trees but they still did not deter speedsters.

A decision by the emirate to sharply increase traffic fines last year also did not work as the number of accidents and traffic tickets surged to a record high. Fines were slashed last month as a government gesture to encourage road discipline ahead of the full implementation of the new camera system.

“I believe this system now will work... We have already started to see some calmness on the road,” a traffic policeman said. “We have reached a conclusion that the best thing is to tell the drivers that we are every where.”

The new cameras, which are also installed on motorways outside the city, illustrated traffic police determination to curb road violations following a 70 per cent increase in speed offences in 2009.

Police figures showed a staggering 2.22 million traffic offences were committed in the Capital last year, including nearly 1.62 million related to excessive speed.

“There was an increase of around 70 per cent in speeding offences in Abu Dhabi last year... We issued around 1.629 million fines for speeding out of the total 2.22 million traffic offences," said Colonel Hamad Adeel Al Shamsi, Director of Traffic and Patrols Department at  the Abu Dhabi Police.

“Non-compliance with speed limits on the roads is the main cause of traffic accidents which result in deaths and sever injuries. Speeding accounted for 33 deaths and 22 severe injuries last year.”

Abu Dhabi has been locked in successive drives to crackdown on traffic offenders after a surge in offences that have resulted in hundreds of casualties. The campaigns also included an increase in police patrols on roads.

Abu Dhabi, which has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, also has one of the highest road accident rates. Police sources have attributed the high accident rate to non-compliance with traffic rules, mainly speed driving, jumping the red signal, reckless driving and other offences.

Introduction of stiffer penalties, installation of more speed cameras, and reinforcement of police patrols have failed to deter drivers and cut accident rates, which totalled about 10,500 in Abu Dhabi and the other emirates last year.

Interior ministry figures showed a daily average of 29 road mishaps occurred in the UAE last year, resulting in the death of 1,071 people during the year. More than half of them were Asian workers and 251 were UAE nationals.

“Reckless driving, inattentiveness and sudden skidding by motorists are among the main causes which led to accidents, deaths and serious injuries in Abu Dhabi,” Colonel Hamad said.
 

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