DUBAI // More than 150 people have been killed in road incidents in Dubai in 2014, an increase from 147 during the first 11 months of last year.
“Although we have so far recorded more fatalities than the year before, the road death index remains relatively the same, which is a good thing,” said Maj Gen Mohammed Al Zafeen, head of the Federal Traffic Council.
“Of course, road deaths are never a positive thing, but considering the increase of residents and vehicles in the emirate, the road death index is good.”
He said that Dubai Police recorded more than 2,000 traffic incidents since the beginning of the year, with car crashes remaining the most prevalent incidents.
“Of the 2,330 accidents recorded so far, 1,561 were of car crashes, 276 were of sudden swerving, and 122 incidents involved vehicles flipping over,” he said, adding that speeding remains the number one reason for road incidents.
Gen Al Zafeen said the authorities recorded more than 2.2 million traffic violations since the beginning of the year, with more than half issued to motorists caught by radars.
He said that most violations, 83 per cent, were recorded in absentia, while 17 per cent were recorded on the spot by on duty officers.
“We have recorded 2,255,343 traffic violations, of which 59 per cent were either running a red light or driving over the speed limit,” he said.
“There were 1,312,594 violations of light vehicles speeding, 7,880 of heavy vehicles speeding, and 12,030 incidents of motorists running red lights.”
Most road incidents involved male drivers, 90.18 per cent, while just 8.71 per cent involved female motorists.
Meanwhile, 48 new radars were installed in Dubai this year, bringing the total to 425.
“It is imperative that people abide by the traffic laws, which are set to keep you and others safe on the road,” said Gen Al Zafeen.
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Company%20profile
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'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
