RTA chief hails 40% drop in Dubai road deaths

Road deaths in Dubai have fallen by up to 40 percent since 2005 and the emirate's transport chief said on Sunday that levels would be comparable to the safest cities in the world by 2015.

Mattar Al Tayer, chairman and executive director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said boosting traffic education was at the centre of its efforts to reduce accidents.

He said coordination between the RTA and the Ministry of Interior, Dubai Police and driving schools had seen road deaths drop from 21 cases per 100,000 population in 2005 to about 12.7 cases per 100,000 cases of population last year.

He hailed the drop rate as "an excellent achievement judging by international safety standards".

Al Tayer said: "RTA has conducted the required studies for developing an integrated traffic safety strategy; which is anticipated to reduce traffic accidents fatality rate to levels comparable to those prevailing in the world's best cities by 2015."

In a speech marking the launch of the GCC Traffic Week, Al Tayer added: "RTA believes that boosting traffic education and diffusing the awareness among all road users is a community duty that cannot be complemented without the concerted efforts of various public and private entities all segments of the community, especially parents."

He said that transport chiefs had identified and rectified more than 120 traffic blackspots and had also carried out studies for the construction of footbridges and more than 100 pedestrian crossing points.