The UAE has the potential to become one of the best countries in the world for road safety, according to a senior official of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Dr Etienne Krug, director of WHO’s Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability, lauded the country’s “beautiful and good quality roads” but added that it must tackle issues including speeding and failure to wear seatbelts.
“Some of the UAE’s legislations are good, but even the most perfect law in the world is only a piece of paper unless it gets transformed into action. And to do that we need the police to enforce the law and we need people to know. So we need campaigns to get the enforcement by the people,” he said in comments published by news agency WAM.
Krug, who made the comments while taking part in the UN Road Safety Collaboration meeting in Abu Dhabi, added: “The zero road death by 2020 is an ambitious plan for the UAE, which has all the potential to be in the top five or even the best country in the world in road safety.”
His comments come as authorities in the UAE launch campaigns to improve road safety.
In Dubai, the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) is cracking down on companies whose drivers have poor safety records via a series of safety campaigns.
The agency has identified 268 companies that have a high rate of traffic violations. The RTA will be stepping up its programme of on-site inspections, focusing especially on worn tyres, defective lights, and missing or unclear numberplates.
In Abu Dhabi, police are taking to the air in a bid to catch reckless motorists. The police force’s air wing is conducting patrols to watch motorists and other traffic-rule violators.
Krug added that WHO is very happy to support the UAE in achieving its goal. “In a way this is why we have this meeting in the UAE capital to show our support and discuss a possible collaboration.”
He also praised the UAE’s effort made on safety around schools, efforts to control speeding and to design good quality roads.
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