Bad drivers still not getting the message, says police chief
▶ Reorganisation of force as a separate entity from Interior Ministry ▶ Complete rebranding and renewed focus on road policing ▶ US-style ID cards are a way to prevent impersonation
Road safety campaigns have largely failed to change driving behaviour to date, with renewed efforts needed to tackle a culture of bad driving, Abu Dhabi’s police chief said.
Maj Gen Mohammed Al Romaithi said too many motorists continued to flout the law, resulting in deaths.
“Traffic safety is the main issue we face. There are too many accidents and that is because people do not follow the rules,” he said at a police event yesterday.
“We have talked a lot to members of the public and have done a lot of awareness campaigns, but still people do not obey the rules.”
Gen Al Romaithi said there was little choice but to resort to tougher responses, which he said would be outlined in coming months.
Nationwide, the number of people killed in traffic accidents rose from 675 in 2015 to 725 last year, reversing a downward trend.
“We will have to put very strict rules in place so we can reduce the number of accidents and deaths, if it will save lives we will do it,” Gen Al Romaithi said when asked about stricter punishments.
“Our mandate is to secure Abu Dhabi and to save lives. This is our core business.”
Significant organisational changes were announced yesterday and police will soon have new uniforms, vehicles and police badges that feature a shield and separate photographic ID card.
The new police ID card is response to cases in UAE courts where criminals had foged documents and pretended to be police officers.
“They will start to have badges that are not possible to fake,” Gen Al Romaithi said.
This year the force took on more than 1,000 members of the public, Emiratis and expatriates, as voluntary community officers to help police respond to accidents and officiate at major public events.
The “We are all Police” drive attracted almost 6,000 applicants, with many still to be trained and processed.
Abu Dhabi Police will be rebranded, complete with new uniforms and shield-style badges.
The force will also become an enforcement body separate from the Ministry of Interior, which oversees the emirates’ police forces.
Maj Gen Mohammed Al Romaithi said the No 1 focus would be tackling a culture of bad driving, which he said media campaigns had failed to fully overcome.
“Traffic safety is the main issue we face. There are too many accidents and that is because people do not follow rules,” he said at an event to unveil the logo yesterday.
“We have talked a lot to the public and have done a lot of awareness [campaigns] but still people do not obey the rules.”
Nationwide, the number of people killed in traffic accidents rose from 675 in 2015 to 725 last year, reversing a downward trend.
Almost half were caused by drivers aged between 18 and 30. Tougher penalties and a mandatory seatbelt law that campaigners have long called for were brought in on July 1.
Maj Gen Al Romaithi said there was little choice but to resort to tougher responses by the authorities, which he said would be outlined in the coming months.
“We will have to enforce very strict rules so we can reduce the number of accidents and deaths, if it will save lives we will do it,” he said when asked about stricter punishments.
“Our mandate is to secure Abu Dhabi and to save lives – this is our core business.”
As part of the organisational changes, officers will carry new badges, in the form of a flipcase featuring a silver shield and an identity card.
The police chief said there was a need to ensure that the IDs cannot be faked. This followed a number of well-publicised court cases in which criminals had posed as police officers, including plainclothed CID officers.
“They will start to have badges that are not possible to fake,” the major general said.
“As you know, Abu Dhabi Police is now part of the Abu Dhabi Government, so we put all of our forces together for a new identity.
“So we changed the colours of the logo, and the cars and uniform to stand out as a police agency.”
Patrol cars in the new livery will be introduced in September, and the new police uniform will be seen in the streets in November, he said.
“It does not mean that changing the emblem will change our work, our quality of work will remain as it is. It was good with the old emblem and it will continue to be good,” said Maj Gen Al Romaithi.
The logo’s frame is the same as the one used by the first Abu Dhabi Police force, which was formed in 1957. Along with the new police image will come a new police band.
“This band is different. The old one was for official military events, whereas this will be embedded with the police,” he said. Through the band, Abu Dhabi Police aim to provide an additional service to the community and to enhance the public’s engagement with the force.
“They will be present at social events. They will play symphonies and some classical Arabic music,” Maj Gen Al Romaithi said.
The force has undergone significant changes over the years and this year took on more than 1,000 members of the public, Emiratis and expats, as community police officers. Participants serve as first responders, are able to direct traffic in the event of an accident and can help out at major public events.
The We Are All Police drive has resulted in a huge response from the public since its launch in September last year, with another 5,000 applicants to be processed.
The force’s efforts to improve behaviour on the roads have fallen on deaf ears, with young drivers guilty of playing fast and loose with the law