The Fujairah Police found the dead body of a man inside an abandoned vehicle on Thursday, July 26.
The Emirati man, who appears to be in his forties, was found around 6 a.m. in an abandoned vehicle in Ghoub area.
Investigation on how the incident unfolded is underway.
Abandoned vehicles in UAE
Abandoned vehicles are not new especially in a country where 215,000 cars were sold in 2015 alone.
Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice president, Exhibitions & Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre told 999 Magazine, the official publication of the UAE Ministry of Interior which is published under New Perspective Media, that this number is still expected to increase in the Middle East region, including UAE.
“The Middle East’s love affair with the automobile continues to inspire confidence, with regional sales per capita expected to outstrip market performance in other areas of the world,” LohMirmand said.
Increase in sales, however, also equates to an increase in the number of vehicles which will end up being abandoned.
In February, the Abu Dhabi City Municipality seized 33 vehicles which have been left unattended for a long time. In Dubai, records show that 12,000 vehicles were abandoned in the UAE in 2017, almost quadrupling abandoned vehicles in 2016 at 3,230.
How to spot abandoned vehicles
It is important to report abandoned vehicles as they cause congestion in public roads and can be a hideout for criminals.
Eng. Abdul Majeed Abdul Aziz Al Saifaie, Director of the Waste Management Department of Dubai Municipality, said that abandoned vehicles affect the safety of motorists and the neighborhood as well.
Saifaie added that abandoned vehicles have also become a place where crime happens, which is the case for the Emirati man found dead inside an abandoned vehicle in Fujairah.
999 Magazine shared how residents can identify an abandoned vehicle:
1- The car has flat tires; its wheels or bumpers have been removed.
2- Seat covers have been slashed and the radio has been stolen.
3- Weeds have started to grow under the vehicle, signaling that it has not been moved for a long period.
4- Litter or leaves are collecting on and inside the vehicle.
5- The windscreens or windows are broken.
6- Inside the car, there are old newspapers, tires, and general rubbish.
7- There are wires hanging from the dashboard, to indicate that the vehicle has been “hotwired” or driven without keys by connecting ignition wires.
8- The vehicle bears signs of vandalism, such as dents and graffiti on the body.
9- Nobody in your neighbourhood, especially the children, have seen the owner or the vehicle being used.
10- The vehicle does not have a number plate.
11- Stray animals have begun to take shelter in the vehicle.
