ABU DHABI // A lorry driver was killed and his assistant injured after being run over while changing a tyre without moving the vehicle to the hard shoulder.
The incident occurred on a motorway between Tarif and Madinat Zayed in Al Gharbia, police said on Wednesday.
Maj Suheil Al Mazrouei, head of traffic at Al Gharbia Police, urged motorists to be cautious when stopping to fix a mechanical problem, and to only do so on the right shoulder of the road at a safe distance from traffic lanes.
Drivers must also make sure their tyres are checked by specialists and "not to just base their judgment on the outer look of the tyre", Maj Al Mazrouei added, noting that about 3 per cent of road accidents in Al Gharbia in the first quarter of this year were due to tyre bursts.
Traffic authorities in the Abu Dhabi recently launched a three-month campaign under the motto "Crash-free Summer", with the aim of raising traffic awareness among motorists.
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