Watch your speed on two Dubai roads from Sunday
dubai — Speedsters beware. Beginning Sunday, October 15, you will no longer be able to drive at 140km/hour on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road in Dubai.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police will start implementing new speed limits on these two major highways — which will be 110 km/hr (from 120km/hr). Radars will flash at 131km/hr, and not 141km/hr.
Signboards have been put up on the two major highways informing motorists about the changes. “Speed is a key contributing or associated factor for not less than 60 per cent of traffic road fatalities,” said Major General Eng. Advisor Mohammed Saif Al Zafein, assistant commander-inchief of Dubai Police.
Meanwhile, there are no plans yet to change speed limits on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road in Sharjah, according to Lt Soud Al Shaibah, director of traffic awareness at Sharjah Traffic Department.
— angel@khaleejtimes.com
dubai — Motorists in Dubai please take note: the new speed limit — 110 kilometres per hour — on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) and Emirates Road (E611) — will come into effect from on Sunday.
Last month, the General HQ of Dubai Police and Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) decided to implement the new speed limit from 120 kilometres per hour (kmph) to 110 kmph on these roads in an effort to curb traffic accidents and enhance road safety.
The decision mainly intended to curb traffic accidents resulting from speeding, as the two roads witness huge volumes of heavy vehicles traffic in both directions. Controlling the speed limits is one of the most effective measures of reducing traffic accidents. The procedure of controlling the speed limits is based on several criteria highlighted by the design speed of the road, and the actual speed observed by the majority of drivers, the RTA earlier announced.
A periodic review has also been carried on some vital streets and highways in Dubai to adjust the speed limits depending on the condition of the road and the surrounding environment, in coordination with strategic partners.
While announcing the decision, Major-General Mohammed Saif Al Zafein, assistant commander-inchief of Dubai Police, has said: “Lowering the speed limit on the
Lowering the speed limit is an outcome of extensive studies conducted by the Dubai Police and the RTA.” Maj-Gen Mohammed Al Zafein assistant commander-in-chief, Dubai Police
Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road is an outcome of extensive studies conducted by the Dubai Police and the RTA.
During the first half of this year, the Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road was the scene of 99 accidents resulting in six fatalities and 78 injuries. Last year, the road saw 196 accidents resulting in 33 deaths and 249 injuries.
“As for Emirates Road, it witnessed 40 accidents during the first half of this year resulting in 10 fatalities and 75 injuries. Last year, the same road saw 86 accidents involving 29 deaths and 147 injuries.”
Meanwhile, there are no plans yet to change speed limits on Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road in Sharjah, according Lt Soud Al Shaibah, director of traffic awareness at Sharjah Traffic Department.
There will be no reduction in speed limits on these two roads as there was no need to do so. He also clarified that any decision in this matter will be taken by the federal authority.
The current speed limit on both these roads is 120kmph, with the radar set to flash if vehicles touch speeds of 141kmph or above. The current capacity of the two roads is about 12,000 vehicles per hour per direction: 7,009 vehicles on Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road in the direction of Abu Dhabi where trucks account for 6 per cent of these vehicles.
According to traffic authorities, the number of vehicles on the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road amount to 7,821 vehicles in the direction of Sharjah of which trucks comprise 12 per cent.
On the Emirates Road, the capacity of the road in the direction of Abu Dhabi is 6,442 vehicles (6 per cent of them are trucks) whereas the number of vehicles heading to Sharjah is 3,416 (14 per cent of them are trucks).
angel@khaleejtimes.com