The National's summer road safety series takes an in-depth look each week at issues concerning the well-being of motorists and the moves being made to protect road users
Distracted drivers have become one of the biggest threats to safer roads with more than 20,000 Dubai motorists fined for not paying attention behind the wheel so far in 2024.
It is a growing trend, with 54,706 fines issued to drivers in 2023 – mainly for using mobile phones while driving, but also for eating, reading, adjusting head scarves and applying make-up.
Not paying attention at the wheel can incur a Dh800 fine, and four black points applied to a driving licence – with a total of 24 points leading to disqualification from the road for a year and even vehicle confiscation.
Fakeeh University Hospital trauma centre
As part of The National’s summer series on road safety, experts revealed the biggest motorway risks, and how hospitals are evolving to improve emergency trauma care.
While UAE accidents were up in 2023 compared to previous years, the number of deaths and serious injuries fell – indicating improved emergency response and vehicle safety.
Health authorities have responded to the demand for trauma care, with a rapidly growing population, more vehicles on the road and more accidents – by dedicating satellite hospitals to emergency response.
One of those is Fakeeh University Hospital in Dubai Silicon Oasis, which also has a satellite branch close to the E11 in Umm Al Sheif.
“Quite frequently we receive patients after a motor vehicle accident,” said Dr Elkin Cabrera, a general thoracic surgeon at the hospital and one of the specialists on hand to tackle emergency trauma injuries.
“Most of the patients I treat are for chest trauma because I'm a general surgeon, but also I have a speciality in thoracic surgery which is very frequent after these kinds of injuries.”
Rapid response
Complete with a helipad and efficient access to major traffic arteries of the E311 and E611, the hospital is equipped to deal with several trauma injuries simultaneously. And, at 3,250 square metres, the Level Two trauma centre is one of Dubai’s largest emergency departments.
Its ease of access often makes it advantageous for seriously injured patients picked up by ambulances from one of the nearby busy six-lane highways.
“There is a system to co-ordinate with Dubai Health Authority to transfer these kinds of patients to the right hospital, where they can be treated quickly and efficiently,” said Dr Cabrera.
“When there is one patient suffering a motor vehicle accident, usually they locate the nearest ambulance and assign that vehicle.
“According to the place of the accident, they decide which hospital should treat the patient.”
The most recent World Health Organisation report on road safety in 2023 showed traffic-related deaths fell slightly to 1.19 million a year – five per cent down from the figures reported in 2010.
Children and young people are the most vulnerable, and traffic accidents remain the leading killer of those aged 5-29.
In the decade between 2010 and 2021, 108 UN countries reported a reduction in road-related deaths, with the UAE one of ten nations to slash fatalities by more than 50 per cent.
That success was also achieved in Belarus, Brunei, Denmark, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
Meanwhile, 35 other nations managed to cut road deaths by between 30 per cent and 50 per cent.
Using smart tech to catch violators
Dubai Police said they use smart radars to catch distracted drivers, amid a rise in those using social media while on the road.
The figures for 2023 showed how distracted driving caused eight deaths and around 60 injuries in the emirate.
"It's not just using mobile phones, some drivers are caught eating. While others put their children on their laps while driving, endangering the lives of the young ones and other road users," said Major General Saif Muhair Al Mazrouei, director of Dubai Police's traffic department.
Taking your eyes off the road even for a few seconds can double the risk of a fatal crash, he stressed, adding, "It's like a person driving while sleeping or with their closed eyes."
Other than phones, sudden swerving, speeding and not leaving a safe distance between vehicles are also some of the causes for the accidents.
More accidents
In the UAE, Ministry of Interior data showed an 11 per cent increase in road accidents in 2023, up to 4,391 from 3,945 in 2022.
In those collisions, 5,568 people were wounded and 352 lost their lives, up from 5,045 and 343 the year before.
Dr Youssef Abboud, lead emergency medicine specialist at Fakeeh University Hospital trauma centre, said road accidents can bring multiple different injuries, requiring specialist care.
“We are seeing everything from severe head injuries to multiple trauma injuries in the chest, abdomen and limbs,” he said.
While Abu Dhabi’s population is one of the fastest-growing in the region – up by 83 per cent since 2011 to 3.8 million in 2023, Dubai is also on the move.
According to Dubai Statistics Centre, 3.65 million people live in the emirate, but a further 1.2 million travel into the city for work.
“The number of accidents we are seeing are more than before, as there are more vehicles now and there is a growing population,” said Dr Abboud.
“However, the complexity of the cases are fewer because of the expansion and safety improvement done on Dubai’s roads, and also the rules implemented to define proper speeds on each road.”
While multi-vehicle accidents are less common, pedestrians and other road users are brought in for complex care in road collisions.
One of those patients is Anoop Painuly, 29, who was working as a chef at the Five Palm Jumeirah Hotel when he was struck by a bus as he walked along the pavement on The Palm in March 2023.
“After my shift at the hotel I was walking back to Media City where I was doing a study course,” Mr Painuly told The National.
“I still don’t remember what happened, other than getting hit from behind by a bus. I still don’t know how or why it ended up on the footpath, as there was a one-metre wall separating the road from the path.
“What happened that day changed my life.”
The bus carrying construction workers broke through a concrete barrier, near the exit flyover from The Palm Jumeirah. The driver held responsible was fined.
Mr Painuly was lucky to survive, suffering a broken shoulder and serious head injuries in the collision and has accumulated substantial costs to pay for his continuing care.
He was in a coma for 22 days and was admitted to Saudi German Hospital where he received emergency treatment, before being transferred to Fakeeh University Hospital.
When he was finally discharged, Mr Painuly continued to have breathing difficulties and was admitted to Prime Hospital in March 2024 for corrective surgery on his windpipe, which had narrowed restricting his breathing.
Lasting impact
Although he has now recovered, Mr Painuly has been unable to work and was forced to leave Dubai, returning to family in Uttarakhand, India.
His experience highlights the devastating long-term consequences of road accidents and the need for specialist, complex care.
“The high-risk nature of such procedures, coupled with the need for meticulous intraoperative management, underscores the importance of these specialised centres,” said Dr Khaldoon Abo Dakka, a thoracic surgeon at Prime Hospital in Dubai, who operated on Mr Painuly.
Additional reporting by Ali Al Shouk
