UAE considers plan to unify speed limits

dubai — The police departments in the UAE are considering a plan to unify speed limits and margins across all roads in the country. The proposal was discussed at a recent meeting of the Federal Traffic Council held at the Police Officers’ Club in Dubai.

Major-General Mohamed Saif Al Zafin, chairman of the council and assistant commander-in-chief of the Dubai Police for operations, said a proposal for unifying speed limits and margins across the country is being studied, but it would need time to find out the most accurate way to do so and how it can help in curtailing accidents.

During the meeting, Maj-Gen Al Zafin also unveiled a plan to instal control devices inside vehicles driven by young people who have just received driving licences. These would be fitted for two years to monitor the behaviour of the young drivers.

Brigadier Hussein Ahmed Al Harthy, vice-president of the council; members of the Federal Traffic Board, Ministry of Interior, directors of traffic and patrol departments across the country and representatives of relevant government bodies participated in the meeting.

They also reviewed the road fatalities index in the UAE. It was found that the deaths due to traffic accidents had dropped by eight per cent in the country between January 1 and August 26. The participants discussed “reviewing and amending the provisions of a number of articles in the federal traffic law”.