Decrease attributed to hike in police presence, installation of speed cameras

  ABU DHABI – There were fewer road deaths from January to March this year in the country's capital and in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) compared to the same period last year, but a road safety expert noted that the current number is still considerably high. Records of the Abu Dhabi Police showed that 60 people died in road mishaps in the emirate in the first quarter of the year, down from 77 deaths recorded from January to March last year. Read: 4 Filipinos killed in Abu Dhabi car crash The number of people injured in road accidents went down from 148 people in January to March 2016 to 90 in the first three months of 2017. Police in Sharjah and in Ras Al Khaimah also said the number of road fatalities in their respective areas were down in the first quarter. In Sharjah, six people lost their lives in traffic accidents last January to March. Sixteen road fatalities were recorded by Sharjah police in the same period last year. RAK police, on the other hand, noted a minimal decrease in road deaths – from 16 in January to March last year to 14 recorded in the first three months of the year. Records of road deaths in Dubai during the first quarter were unavailable. Police attributed the decrease in road fatalities to the conduct of road safety campaigns, increased police presence, installation of speed cameras and the adjustment of speed limits. But Phil Clarke, a consultant of the Transport Research Laboratory UAE, said it is still too early to tell if the drop in road deaths would be a trend from hereon. Clarke said "comparing similar periods in two consecutive years is a small statistical snapshot of the overall picture." But the police hoped that with the implementation of stricter traffic rules like compulsory seatbelts and restraints for all child passengers, it will cut road deaths in the country. GAC/Expat 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