Four dead, five injured in three-car Dubai smash

DUBAI // Four people were killed and five injured in a three-car crash on Monday night.

An Emirati driver, believed to be 18-years-old, was speeding and not paying attention to the road, which led him to suddenly swerve to the right and hit a second vehicle parked on the hard shoulder of the two-lane road, police said.

The first vehicle flipped over and the second hit a third car. Eight people standing talking nearby were run over.

One of the four killed was American and the rest were Arabs, Dubai police chief Maj Gen Khamis Al Muzeina confirmed. Those killed were aged between 17 and 19.

In addition to those killed, four people sustained moderate to serious injuries and the Emirati driver sustained minor injuries.

The injured were taken to Rashid Hospital by ambulance and the driver is in police custody.

The incident happened on Academic City Road, heading towards Al Warqa roundabout, at about 11.30pm.

The area around Al Warqa and Al Khawaneej are known to police as hot spots for young people who gather and drive fast on and off-road.

In 2012, three Emiratis aged between 17 and 19 were injured in two accidents in the area.

That same year, Dubai Police confiscated more than 500 vehicles, including dune buggies and quad bikes, within two kilometres of the Al Warqa roundabout. They launched a campaign to educate youths about the deadly consequences of aggressive driving, whether in the desert or on the road.

Monday night’s four deaths bring to more than 100 who have been killed on Dubai’s roads in the first seven months of this year.

Col Saif Al Mazrouei, director of the Dubai police traffic department, said 1,529 incidents were recorded up until end of July, in which more than 1,200 people were injured.

He added that most road deaths were a result of car crashes, followed by run-over incidents.

The main reasons for accidents were sudden swerving, speeding, running red lights, tailgating, not giving pedestrians the right of way, not keeping to a lane and not ensuring the path is clear before entering a road.

Thomas Edelmann, founder of the website Road Safety UAE, said paying attention is hugely important on the road.

“This is a big issue that many people are not taking seriously,” he said. “People need to put 100 per cent of their attention on the road and keep away from anything that can distract them. Both hands on the steering wheel at all times and no playing with cell phones.”

He added that there seems to be a lack of a caring mentality among many drivers in the UAE.

“People should care for themselves, for their passengers and for others on the roads. It is the lack of a caring mentality that is leading to these fatal and unfortunate accidents,” said Mr Edelmann.

Ms Roshanara Sait, a road safety expert and director of Ciel Marketing & Events, said that the accident may be a case of target fixation, which, she added, has been proven to exist.

“Target fixation is when a person is looking at something and unconsciously starts to lean or drive towards it, even though they are consciously thinking they need to avoid it,” she said. “Police are trying hard to raise awareness on the dangers of parking on the hard shoulder.”

Earlier this year Dubai police initiated a road-safety awareness campaign in association with Ciel Events and Mobil to highlight the dangers of stopping on the hard shoulder.

“Motorists in the UAE also have to keep in mind that we may have obstacles in the country that other country’s don’t face,” Mr Edelmann said. “Because of the harsh climate conditions, it is not uncommon to see a vehicle parked on the shoulder with a punctured tyre or whatnot.”

He also said that speeding, which remains one of the top causes of road accidents, is never worth the risk. “Very often, people speed because they think they’re going to save time when, in fact, they would only be saving one or two minutes. It’s simple mathematics,” he said, adding: “Better get to your destination late than never.”

dmoukhallati@thenational.ae