The speed limit for Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road have been reduced from 120kph to 110kph, as of today, Oct. 15, to bring down the number of road crashes, driven mainly by overspeeding.
The 20kph ‘buffer’ remains applicable, but drivers caught exceeding the window of 130kph will be fined.
The Road Transportation Authority and the Dubai Police lowered the speed limit to prevent accidents and road deaths, as speeding accounts for nearly 60 percent of road traffic fatalities, The National quoted Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafeen, head of the Federal Traffic Council and Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, as saying.
During the first half of the year, 76 people died in road accidents in Dubai including 10 on Emirates road and eight on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed road, authorities said.
To further encourage safe driving, the Dubai Police is also launching a new application to reward drivers who stick to speed limits by next week.
Starting next week, motorists can log into the General Dubai Police App and register for the program. Through the mobile app, the driver, whose location will be placed on the map, will receive ‘white points’ for every five or 10 kilometers where he/she does not exceed the speed limit.
“We will specify how many kilometres to get a white point soon and when the driver collects enough points, he can click on the link in the app to guide him to different options to redeem them. It can be redeemed for shopping vouchers or other options,” WhatsOn quoted Brigadier Al Mazroui, the director of the Traffic Department, as saying.
“Speeding is a serious offence in Dubai which causes death and injuries every year. With this programme, we hope to motivate drivers to follow speed limits,” Al Mazroui told the media.
Source: The National, WhatsOn
Photo credit: Pixabay
