A cyclist hit by a car and knocked unconscious near Al Qudra bike track has said improved road safety education is needed as the sport rides a wave of growing popularity across the country.
Andy Fordham, founder of Dubai Cycling Community, has been heavily involved with the sport for more than a decade, organising a host of road races, as well as triathlon and Ironman events.
He urged cyclists to stick to designated tracks and avoid using public roads, even for a short journey.
On a recent Sunday morning ride to Al Qudra cycle track — a route he has taken hundreds of times — Mr Fordham was hit by a vehicle as he entered the roundabout and broke his leg in the fall.
Shocked by the incident, the collision was a painful reminder of the vulnerability of cyclists on the roads, he said.
“On that particular Sunday, I rolled the dice and thought I had done everything to get home in one piece,” Mr Fordham said.
“I felt I was a competent, aware cyclist who used animated hand signals — but I am still reliant on other road users to be responsible, patient and considerate to ensure there is no collision with me.
“I should not have assumed a car would not enter the roundabout even though it was full.
“The way people drive on the shoulder, talk on their phones or fail to indicate is dangerous. People think they are king of the road.”
Mr Fordham has clocked up thousands of miles cycling on the roads and tracks of Dubai, but his vast experience did not protect him from serious injury.
The collision left him with a fractured left tibia that required surgery to insert a titanium plate, and head injuries after he was knocked unconscious.
Cyclists are restricted to using designated bike tracks in Dubai and prohibited from using roads with a speed limit in excess of 60kph.
Like other cyclists from Town Square, a community near the bike track, Mr Fordham joined the short section of Al Qudra Road that leads from his area on to the cycle path, only a few hundred metres away.
“Shared-use tracks like at Jumeirah Beach where there are cyclists, scooters and pedestrians are realistically not suitable for training for cyclists and there is an issue with connectivity from the communities to cycle paths,” said Mr Fordham, 58.
“My accident was avoidable but essentially it doesn’t matter if I live 50 metres from the cycle track, there will be no more riding on the roads for me.
“My message to cyclists is if you have the attitude that this will never happen to you, it eventually will.”
In 2021, 22 people lost their lives on bikes in Dubai, with another 253 people injured, police statistics show.
Despite the increase in the popularity of cycling across the emirates, the number of road deaths has fallen by two thirds in a decade.
Research from the College of Medical and Health Sciences at UAE University in Al Ain showed tighter traffic regulations, awareness campaigns and better vehicle safety had helped cut road deaths from 10 per 100,000 people in 2010 to 3.5 in 2019.
Dubai’s safe cycling network has increased steadily in recent years.
The Roads and Transport Authority aims to have cycling tacks completed across 29 city districts by 2026, extending the network from 463km to 759km as part of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan.
In Abu Dhabi, a new 109km cycle track has connected multiple facilities and attractions, with further plans to build more than 1000km of cycleways in the future as part of a ‘bike city’.
Research from the Emirates Centre for Mobility Research found 64 per cent of riders used their bikes for mobility purposes such as commuting to work, food delivery or to perform prayers in the mosque.
“These are the vulnerable road users and city planners in UAE are aware of the importance of protecting them, either through road infrastructure investments, rules and regulations or awareness campaigns,” said Dr Hamad Al Jassmi, associate professor and centre director.
“One of the major issues that cyclist suffer from is the dis-connectivity of their rides, where they have to step into a shared road facility with motorised vehicles in a way or another to complete their journey.
“Our research shows that bicycle crashes happen more frequently in attempts to cross the road through intersections, roundabouts, zebra crossings or jaywalking, as opposed to the frequency of crashes in the case of riding in the middle of the road.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Emergency
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
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How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
