Speeding kills and may make you a killer, warns Dubai Police

DUBAI // Eighteen people were killed in traffic accidents caused by speeding from the start of this year until November 15, compared to 13 all of last year, Dubai police said.

The force launched its annual Speeding Kills campaign to raise awareness among drivers, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 24, about the dangers of exceeding the speed limit.

According to the most recent statistics, 174 people died in traffic accidents since the start of the year. Maj Gen Mohammed Al Zafeen, assistant to the Dubai Police chief for operations, said the one-month Speeding Kills campaign was to remind residents speeding was not worth losing lives over.

“Many of the fatalities of traffic incidents are a result of speeding,” he said.

“We find it is important to launch this campaign every year to remind the young people that speeding does kill and may make you, the driver, a killer.”

Maj Gen Al Zafeen urged motorists to abide by the traffic laws. “They must remember they are not the only ones on the road and they share the road with many others,” he said. He also said that between the months of January and April, when the weather cools, more people take to the roads on motorcycles. “We see many more young people on bikes,” he said.

“We want to stress that Dubai Police cannot combat bad driving behaviour on its own, parents must be the first line of defence,” he said. Up to October 23, Dubai Police issued 16,005 fines to motorists for driving 60kph faster than the speed limit, a decrease from 20,859 fines last year.