Sharjah lowers speed limit on key road to increase traffic safety

Sharjah Police has reduced the speed limits on certain roads to increase traffic safety in the emirate, it was announced on Sunday.

The speed limit in parts of Maliha Road, specifically the stretch between Al Badea Bridge and the Sheikh Khalifa Road exit, has been lowered from 120 km/h to 100 km/h, official news agency WAM reported.

The new limit is effective from January 1, 2017, the report added.

The stretch of road also underwent maintenance and development work, carried out under the Ministry of Infrastructure Development.

Dr. Ahmed Al Naoor, acting director of Traffic and Patrols Department for the Sharjah Police, stated that the speed limits were being lowered on certain roads in line with the Ministry of Interior’s strategic goals to enhance traffic safety.

The Ministry of Interior aims to reduce the fatality rate along the five main accident-prone roads in the emirate by 21 per cent year-on-year in 2017.

Field research carried out by the Traffic and Patrols Department of the Sharjah Police included a review of speed limits in Sharjah, particularly along roads prone to serious accidents that often ended in fatalities.

The study’s aim was to increase traffic safety along these roads, protect the lives of drivers and reduce the number of serious accidents.

Excessive speed has “emerged as a key cause behind traffic accidents,” the report stated.

Al Naoor said several programmes were in the process of being implemented to boost traffic safety. He also called upon the drivers to strictly abide by the speed limit.

Sharjah Police recorded an average of eight to 10 deaths per month due to traffic accidents in 2015, which also included pedestrians killed due to jaywalking or not crossing at designated areas.

Up to 3,560 motorists in the emirate had their cars impounded for up to 30 days due to offences such as speeding. Fines of up to Dhs2,000 were also issued for “driving at dangerous speeds” exceeding 180 km/h.

The highest speed recorded by authorities stood at 268 km/h.

Officials said last year that they were planning to install new radars in Sharjah by 2018 which would detect several road violations.

According to a report issued by the UAE’s Ministry of Interior last year, the main causes of road accidents in UAE include sudden swerving and lane changing; misjudgment; not leaving enough distance from the vehicle in front; entering the road without checking if it is clear; and speeding.