Road accidents caused the deaths of 381 people in the UAE last year and injured 2,620 others, compared with 256 deaths and 2,437 injuries in 2020, Ministry of Interior figures show.
The number of crashes also increased in 2021 — to 3,488 up from 2,931 in 2020.
Distracted driving, sudden swerving and failing to maintain safe distance between vehicles caused the majority of traffic accidents.
During 2020 many of the roads were quieter due to stay at home measures at the height of the pandemic. While there was an increase in deaths last year, the long term trends in the UAE have been falling road fatalities.
A breakdown of the ministry figures meanwhile, which have been made publicly available on its website, showed that distracted driving caused 1,031 collisions last year, up from 816 in 2020.
Sudden swerving was the cause of 548 accidents in 2021 compared with 492 in 2020, while not keeping a safe distance between cars caused 484 crashes last year and 413 the year before.
Thomas Edelmann, managing director of Road Safety UAE, said while the death toll was still below the global trend every motorist had a role to play in making the roads safer.
“We all — not only Government — have to contribute to making drivers understand that they play a vital role in the context of road safety,” he told The National.
"This is for all motorists driving cars, trucks, e-scooters, motorcycles and for other people like pedestrians and every person participating in road safety. They have to look after their own safety and that of others and think about it like a captain of an aircraft and how it is their responsibility to look after the safety of their passengers and people around them. They must be at a very high degree of safe discipline.”
Mr Edelmann said although road deaths have dropped over the years from 525 in 2017, there was no room for complacency.
“We still see misbehaviour on the roads and every single road death is one too many and we must avoid it,” he said.
About 94 per cent of accidents are happening because of human error, he said.
The UAE has made huge efforts over the past few years to improve road safety through its system of motorway radars, fines, improving priority for pedestrians and public awareness campaigns to educate motorists about road safety.
Abu Dhabi Police regularly post CCTV video showing incidents on the emirate's roads to warn drivers of potential dangers.
The force on May 6 released video of a collision involving a number of vehicles to highlight the dangers of distracted driving and in February the force released footage highlighting the risks of motorists switching lanes without indicating.
Brig Gen Muhammad Al Hamiri, Director of Abu Dhabi Police’s Traffic and Patrols Directorate in the Central Operations Sector, said: “Abu Dhabi Police continues to raise awareness among motorists to reduce causes of traffic accidents that result in deaths and severe injuries.
“We urge motorists to avoid wrong behaviour when they are driving, such as negligence, distraction, turning around to talk to passengers, or taking photos."
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Scoreline
Bournemouth 2
Wilson 70', Ibe 74'
Arsenal 1
Bellerin 52'
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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The years Ramadan fell in May
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The five pillars of Islam
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
THE%20FLASH
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