Picture used for illustrative purposes.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Abu Dhabi Police have called on drivers to ensure that the road is clear before entering it to enhance their driving safety.

They have outlined five simple rules that must be followed: slowing down when reaching the entrance to the road, using the side light signal, slowing down if a vehicle is parked in front, giving crossing priority to vehicles coming from the main road, and making sure the road is clear of vehicles.

The Ministry of Interior's statistics on traffic accidents by type of offence reveal that traffic departments nationwide recorded 15,613 violations of "entering the road without making sure it is clear" in 2023. The penalty for entering the road without making sure it is clear is Dha400 plus 4 traffic points.

The statistical data revealed that Abu Dhabi recorded 5,752 violations, Dubai had 6,019, Sharjah 1,399, Ajman 1,911, Umm Al Quwain 55, Ras Al Khaimah 269, and Fujairah 208.

Statistical analysis revealed that 371 road accidents occurred across the country last year due to failing to make sure that the road is clear before entering it. Of these, 70 occurred in Abu Dhabi, 214 in Dubai, 12 in Sharjah, 11 in Ajman, 32 in Ras Al Khaimah, 22 in Fujairah, and 10 in Umm Al Quwain.

The Directorate of Traffic and Patrols in the Central Operations Sector has urged drivers to exercise greater attention, focus and monitoring of the road, and to refrain from being preoccupied with the phone while driving.

It has also recommended that drivers use traffic lights when changing lanes, use mirrors to ensure there is sufficient space to move to the other lane, and commit to using obligatory lanes.