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Buckle up, please!

DUBAI — They are three different people but with a common link. All have survived a road accident.

Hospitals are full of stories of survivors who have lived to tell the tale. Despite this fact, reckless driving, speeding and not buckling up remain among the top offences in traffic accidents in the UAE, say officials at the start of the GCC Traffic Week 2012 that ends on Thursday.

Emirati, Ahmed Mohammed Hamed, 17, doesn’t remember anything about the crash but he does know that he is lucky to have survived the head-on collision with a bus. “One minute I was chatting with my brother who was driving and the next I know is when I woke up in hospital,” says Ahmed from his bed in Rashid Hospital. Luckily, he only suffered a broken femur despite the fact that he was not wearing his seatbelt.

Ahmed Mohammed, 34, says he was not speeding but lost control over his car and hit a cement barrier on Emirates Road. He was driving at 130km/h and was not wearing a seatbelt. “I don’t remember how it happened, but I have learnt my lesson,” he says.

Hussain Al Banna, Director of Traffic and Roads Agency at the Roads and Transport Authority said that educational efforts aimed at curbing traffic accidents will continue.

“The past five years have seen a drop in the mortality rates sustained by cyclists due to traffic accidents in Dubai,” he said.

Mohammad Imtiaz, a Safety Demonstrator at Emirates Driving Institute says that constant education has shown results. “Until five years ago, we witnessed a huge number of accidents especially from Fujairah Men’s College, but none has been reported this year,” he said. The instructor gives demonstrations in educational institutions on the importance of buckling up and controlling speed.

Mohammad Mukhtar, a 21-year-old Pakistani considers himself lucky being alive after being hit by an errant taxi that pushed his pickup under a trailer. “The police had to cut the vehicle to bring me out,” he said. “I was wearing a seat belt and was driving under the speed of 40km/h,” he adds.

Cycling tracks

Plans are underway to expand cycling tracks in the city to strengthen Dubai’s standing as an international cycling centre, according to a senior official from the Roads and Transport Authority.

Hussain Al Banna, Director of Traffic and Roads Agency said that the authority was an advocate of biking as a means of transport and a healthy sport. Currently, special tracks stretching about 31km at the 2^nd of December Street, Jumeirah Street and Mankhool Street have been laid out. The tracks have a provision of 3,000 bicycles racks.

Guidelines for cyclists:

· Always check the road map and safe areas for crossing before setting off.

· Each bicycle is dedicated to only one passenger, not two.

· Each cyclist should wear a safety helmet to reduce the risk of injuries and accidents.

· Don’t forget to wear reflective clothing particularly at night to ensure your road safety.

· Make sure the bicycle’s front/back lights are switched on, so that motorists can see you.

· Make sure you cross the street from pedestrians/cyclists designated areas.

· Use the correct hand signal while attempting to cross the street or overtake vehicles.

· It is strictly prohibited to ride bicycles on highways

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com