38 Emiratis killed in Oman crashes over last five years
abu dhabi — Thirty-eight UAE nationals were killed in road accidents in the Sultanate of Oman over the past five years, with the recent crash involving the death of a mother and her son last week, according to traffic authorities.
Most of these accidents happened due to collisions and wrong overtaking of vehicles. The majority of the crashes occurred in the months of July and August as thousands of citizens and their families travel to Salalah in Oman every year to enjoy the mild weather.
The traffic authorities at the Ministry of Interior have attributed most of these accidents to the difference in the traffic environment, lack of commitment to legal speed limits and drivers’ inattentiveness.
In the latest accident on July 25, an Emirati mother and her son died and 13 others were injured after three vehicles, two of them carrying Emiratis and Saudi nationals, crashed in Oman. The Royal Police in Oman said the crash occurred on one of the highways in Qarn Al Alam, Adam province.
Capt Mohammed bin Salam Al Hashami from the Royal Police’s Department of Public Relations said two vehicles with the UAE and Saudi number plates, collided as one of them attempted to overtake another vehicle from a wrong spot.
“Both the vehicles caught fire after ramming into each other. One of the vehicles then swerved off the lane and crashed into another car that had Omani number plate.”
According to the police, the UAE vehicle was carrying six persons from the same family and two of them were burned to death. The other four Emirati occupants suffered moderate injuries and were transferred to the nearest hospital.
In June this year, two Emiratis were killed when a vehicle they were travelling in collided with a trailer in Central Oman. In July last year, two Emirati teenagers died and a third injured while driving home from Oman.
In another crash last year in August, a 10-year-old Emirati and his father were killed in a road accident in Oman while driving back to the UAE.
What causes crashes?
Brigadier Ghaith Hassan Al Zaabi, director-general of traffic coordination at the UAE Ministry of Interior, said most of the road accidents reported outside the UAE and involving Emiratis result from failure to abide by the speed limits on some roads and wrong overtaking.
“In some cases sudden change of lanes due to road works and rough spots causes accidents as some drivers may not be familiar with the roads,” he said. “But generally many of the crashes result from speeding and inattentiveness on part of drivers.”
The official said motorists should adhere to traffic rules and regulations while driving from anywhere around the world.
Al Zaabi also advised Emiratis travelling with their cars outside the country to first ensure they are in good and safe condition including checking on the car tyres and the engine before starting their journeys and wherever they get a break while on the way.
The officer said that the ministry was making efforts to ensure the safety of passengers travelling outside the country by road and in their own vehicles, by providing them with an awareness guide to safe driving and traffic rules of the neighbouring countries.
He noted that the ministry is also keen on educating drivers and passengers on the requirements in the countries they are visiting, including the unauthorised items they carry and the general safety instructions of the vehicles.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com
Generally, many of the crashes result from speeding and inattentiveness on the part of drivers.”
Brig Ghaith Hassan Al Zaabi, director-general, traffic coordination