Action call as UAE roads rank among world's deadliest

DANGER ZONE: A new report showed that UAE road users are almost seven times more likely to be killed than those in Britain. (Getty Images)

A new World Health Organisation (WHO) report has ranked roads in the UAE as some of the world's most dangerous.

Health chiefs have urged the UAE government to tighten motoring laws after the report showed that UAE road users are almost seven times more likely to be killed than those in Britain.

The study revealed that 37.1 people were killed on roads in the Emirates for every 100,000 people in 2007, the latest year for which UAE statistics are available, UAE daily The National reported on Tuesday.

Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO’s director general, said the poor safety record of the Emirates “deserves our highest attention” and called on officials to take action, the paper added.

Pedestrians constituted 28 percent of casualties and motorbike riders and cyclists making up another two percent, the report said.

The report said 86 percent of the 1,754,420 vehicles registered in the UAE in 2007 were motor cars, with trucks (seven percent), minibuses and vans (two percent) and buses (two percent) making up most of the remainder.

The police recorded 1,056 fatal and 11,155 non-fatal accidents in the same year with men making up 87 per cent of casualties and women 13 per cent.

The UAE is the worst performer in the region, with significantly more road deaths per head of population than Bahrain (12.1 per 100,000), Kuwait (16.9), Oman (21.3), Qatar (23.7), Saudi Arabia (29).

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READERS' COMMENTS

Our Omani Fellow is correct
Posted by Bob Steve on Sunday 25 October 2009 at 09:33 UAE time


Our Omani fellow is right.Driving careful is one thing & driving "stupid" is another thing ,e.g.slow drivers in the leftmost lane & hesitations & stopping suddenly worst in roundabouts .... you have to run with the stream !!

Hats Off to Mr. Rajo
Posted by Shahzad, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Saturday 18 July 2009 at 14:27 UAE time


Person who commented on Turtle Drivers can no way blame Mr. Rajo as 80km/hr on third track is sufficient enuf and the RR has to keep the fast lane........Playing hot tricks with a 99 Echo is a better and a brave driver than to play with RR,Cayenne......

Turtle Drivers ??
Posted by Leo Soz, Dubai, UAE on Saturday 20 June 2009 at 01:31 UAE time


Through his strange analogy, it appears that comments by 'GCC National' is stereo typing Mr.Rajo. He seems to be defending the typical speed freaks on the roads who would continue with their mindless driving regardless of any other careful driver on the road. In the context of the carnages we have witnessed, I would have a turtle driver any day, instead of a predator on the wheels whose only aim is to satisfy the ego through speedometer numbers.

Very Unfair Report
Posted by VRV, Dubai on Thursday 18 June 2009 at 17:31 UAE time


Everyone who has been in dubai for a while can instantly tell that this report is lacking something. Last statistics dated 2007? will be for sure very different from 2008 and 2009 had they did the research before commenting on UAE traffic.
Why? because all the new road rules and regulations came effective during 2008. i can tell you, the only 2 reasons i changed my way of driving to a more relatively calm one is due to two things. 1) RTA gave me less reason to road rage, by easing off traffic on my daily route. Dubai police tightened penalties and ticket fees which made me drive much more carefully. So their implementation IS working.

let them do a new study in 2009, and i guarentee a total different story. "WHO", asking to tighten the rules even more?? Thats just crazy talk...

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