Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
The Emirate of Dubai, in 2023, witnessed 320 road accidents, which caused death of eight people and minor to serious injuries to 339 others, 33 of them sustained serious injuries, 155 and 151 sustained medium and minor injuries respectively, Major General Saif Muhair Al Mazrouei, Director of the General Department of Traffic the Dubai Police said.
The previous year’s traffic statistics also indicated that 43,817 people had been monitored while crossing roads from places that are not designated for pedestrian crossing, he added.
Major General Saif Al Mazrouei pointed out that some pedestrians wrongly cross roads by climbing the concrete barriers or crossing through the openings of the mesh barrier despite the presence of pedestrian crossings and bridges close to them, while others sleep underneath parked trucks to take a nap, exposing their safety to danger.
He further explained that although the Dubai Police continuously launch several awareness campaigns, some people still behave indifferently, exposing themselves and others to danger, pointing out that the police deploy patrols everywhere to monitor these wrongdoings.
He pointed out that last year's statistics showed that 43,817 violations of crossing roads from non-designated places were recorded in the emirate, noting that September was the on the top with 4,591 violations, followed by May with 4,252 violations, then October with 4,239 violations, August with 4,169 violations, November with 4,045 violations, January with 3,636 violations, March with 3,564 violations, July with 3,494 violations, February with 3,251 violations, December with 2,979 violations, June with 2,914 violations, and April with 2,683 violations.
Major General Saif Al Mazrouei pointed out that the law prevents pedestrians from crossing on highways or roads with speeds exceeding 80 km per hour, while on internal roads, they must cross from designated places or use bridges and tunnels designated for pedestrians, if any.
He pointed out that a fine of Dhs400 is imposed on anyone who crosses a road from places not designated for pedestrian crossing.