By Matovu Abdallah Twaha http://gulftoday.ae
DUBAI: The Director of Dubai Traffic Police, Maj Gen Mohammed Saif Al Zafeen has said that a number of drivers turn careless regarding driving rules after getting a driving licence, warning they are under the scanner.
“Before getting the [driving] licence, learners are always keen with every rule in the traffic book, such as indicating ahead of making any turn, but they forget all these after getting the licence.”
He was addressing a press conference at Al Garhoud Police Officers Club Jan.26, announcing the opening of a three-month campaign aimed at curbing “Sudden Swerve.”
Sudden swerve of the vehicle is the changing of lanes to overtake or avoid a parked vehicle or avoiding a vehicle ahead that has slowed down suddenly for any reason. This offence attracts a fine of Dhs200 and taking off four points of the driver’s licence.
Al Zafeen said that the police have strong presence on the roads so they can “deal with poor drivers who take the rules for granted, such as sudden swerving that has proved fatal to people’s lives.”
He said that sudden swerving claimed 21 lives in 2012 out of 498 accidents recorded. The figure almost doubled last year when it resulted in 41 deaths out of 641 accidents recorded.
“The 2013 figure represents 25 per cent of 160 people killed in accidents in Dubai emirate,” according to Al Zafeen.
Eng Al Zafeen was flanked by the Head of Operation and Training in a local company of World Security which sponsors the campaign, Ahmad Hamd Al Ka’bi.
He said it “is a pity many drivers are still reckless with their lives.” He maintained that the most causes of sudden swerve accidents are lack of attention and failure to indicate when turning or changing a lane. More info
