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29 March 2024

No foggy excuses for bad driving: Traffic chief

These pictures taken from Index Tower, DIFC, towards Downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa this morning show the dense fog affecting Dubai. (Pics: Jon Morrison)

Published
By Mohamad El Sidafy

Dense fog continued to blanket Dubai and all major roads in and out of the emirate.

Dubai Police control and operations room told this website that no major mishaps had been reported till 9am.

Meanwhile, a top traffic official told this website that the misty weather alone cannot be blamed for road accidents.

Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zaffin, Director of Dubai Traffic, said "speeding is the main  cause for mishaps during low-visibility periods.

According to Dubai Traffic Department statistics, more than 99 per cent of accidents occur during normal times.

As against 1,873 accidents that led to 93 deaths and 1,379 injuries in good weather, only 12 accidents occured during sandstorms and foggy mornings in the first nine months of this year, claiming two lives and injuring seven.

This is a mere one per cent of the total traffic-related accidents.

Al Zaffin said even this one per cent accident rate is disturbing given the fact that rains and fog in the UAE does not exceed more than two weeks in a year.

So also sandstorms are not a constant feature. Only reckless driving can be, therefore, blamed for fatal mishaps on roads.

Al Zaffin said even in foggy conditions, there are drivers who speed at 120km per hour. This is extremely dangerous, he added.

It is wiser to report an hour late at the destination than to lose one's life, he reminded.

Today’s incident-free morning comes after a major car-pile up on the Dubai bypass near Academic City involving 35 cars yesterday, also due to fog.

Dubai Police warned motorists to drive carefully as dense fog and misty weather continues to reduce visibility across most the emirates for the third day today.

Early morning visibility was reduced to less than ten-metres while in some it was zero visibility.

Yesterday, 11 people were injured and miraculously no lives were lost.

Also yesterday, the police said there were 418 traffic-related emergency calls between 5am and 8am.

Two vehicles were completely charred in an accident on a bypass road near the Al Ain exit, heading to Dubai.

The Met department has warned the foggy weather would continue for the next few days. In its forecast the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology said the relative humidity is likely to increase in Dubai, Sharjah and other coastal and internal areas during night and early morning, with mist/fog over these areas.