Stopping in undesignated area is dangerous
Experts urge fleet owners to educate drivers on road safety measures
Road safety experts in the UAE have called on commercial fleet owners to educate drivers on safe driving measures, following the horrific accident on Emirates Road on Tuesday that killed seven.
The accident took place early on Tuesday when a bus carrying senior employees of Assent — Al Shafar Steel Engineering ploughed into a 70-tonne truck that had stopped in an undesignated area on Emirates Road in the direction of Abu Dhabi, behind Al Maktoum International Airport.
A total of 13 people were injured in the accident, four of whom are currently receiving treatment at Rashid Hospital.
Speaking to Gulf News about the “unacceptable practice of stopping in the middle of the road”, Thomas Edelman, CEO of RoadSafetyUAE, said: “Stopping in undesignated areas must stop, especially after minor accidents. Motorists must move their vehicles out of the way of oncoming traffic and on to the hard shoulder and erect proper warning signs [warning triangle] to warn oncoming traffic.”
Urging authorities to clearly communicate the importance of moving out of live traffic, he added: “The owners and fleet operators of commercial vehicles and fleets must inform and educate their drivers about the right practices. This is not the first big accident where trucks or commercial vehicles stop in undesignated areas causing fatalities on our roads.”
‘Improve awareness’
Dr Britta Lang, country director of Transport Research Laboratory UAE, said that the one way that similar collisions could be avoided is by improving drivers’ awareness of safe procedures in case of emergencies.