UAE traffic offences up in 2010

Drivers committed more than 6.7 million traffic offences in the UAE in 2010, an increase of around 7.5 per cent over 2009 and an average of more than one offence per person in the country, police data showed on Saturday.

But deaths resulting from road accidents declined by 14.5 per cent to 826 last year from 966 in 2009, showed the figures published by the Arabic language daily 'Al Khaleej'.

While there was an increase in road offences in the capital Abu Dhabi, they declined in Dubai, the most populated emirate in the UAE.

From around 6.284 million in 2009, total traffic offences in the seven emirates rose to 6.754 million in 2010, showed the figures provided by Brigadier Gaith Al Zaabi, director of traffic coordination department at the interior ministry.

“The increase in offences across the UAE was a result of intensified police patrols, which allowed us to seize more offenders,” he said.

A breakdown showed traffic offences in Abu Dhabi increase to 2.588 million in 2010 from 2.238 million in 2010 while in Dubai they declined to 2.378 million from around 2.501 million in the same period.

In Sharjah, offences jumped by 28 per cent to 1.039 million from 810,000 while in Ajman they dropped to around 326,000 from 354,000. Offences in Ras Al Khaimah increased to 102,306 from 86,539.

The report showed Umm Al Quwain recorded the largest decline of about 14.4 per cent to 15,690 last year from 86,539 in 2009 while Fujeirah recorded the largest increase of 39.9 per cent to 153,790 from 109,876 in the same period.
 

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