ABU DHABI // Deaths on the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain road could be cut by up to 90 per cent if speed limits of 140kph were enforced, according to data collected from six points on the road.
Up to 70 per cent of drivers exceed the posted limit of 120kph and 18 per cent break the enforcement limit of 160kph.
"We need to be a little proactive other than waiting and seeing," Dr Arif Mehmood of the Department of Transport told a road safety conference yesterday. "Enhance the monitoring of the existing enforcement speed."
On the lonely roads of Al Gharbia, also known as the Western Region, drunk drivers and trailers are a major problem.
Experts at the conference questioned why the sparsely populated area, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of the land in Abu Dhabi emirate but only 9 per cent of its population, should have so many road fatalities.
The region's rate of 50 deaths per 100,000 is more than twice the national average and about 10 times that of the UK. These problems include substandard road geometry, inadequate lighting and signage, drunk driving, poor speed control management, lack of stormwater drainage and inadequate co-ordination between local agencies.
As on the Al Ain-Abu Dhabi road, speeding is also a major problem. "The drivers of the Western Region know the exact locations of the radar so they drive very fast and the moment they reach the radar they slow down," Mr Butmeen said. "So we think if these radars were not really visible it would result in substantial improvements."
The Western Region municipality has a target reduction from its recent average of 58 fatal crashes a year to 32 by 2020.
The municipality is planning monthly meetings with police, conducting safety awareness at schools and camel races, sending weekly SMS messages that advise drivers about safe habits and the applications of religious teaching.
According to Abu Dhabi Police, roads planned without consideration for pedestrians are the cause of 10.8 per cent of accidents. This is second only to neglect and a lack of attention, which are responsible for 15.6 per cent.
With 2,700 kilometres of road audited, the Road Safety Project for Abu Dhabi municipality is now in its implementation stage.
In one 308km stretch, 6,844 safety issues were identified. Auditors said many of these issues are easily fixed by improving lighting, signage and providing sloped kerbs for cyclists.
High priority roads have been identified as Muroor Road, Airport Road and Khaleej Al Arabi Street.
"We call these roads high risk because they have some features that make a hazard to any type of road users, drivers, pedestrians and motorcycle users," said Sami Al Hashmi, a traffic planning engineer.
