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Abu Dhabi Police release video of highway crashes to show dangers of sudden swerving
Footage of a highway crashes released by Abu Dhabi Police have shown the dangers of last-minute serving by motorists on the country’s roads.
Abu Dhabi released a video on its Twitter page showing two accidents caused by drivers suddenly swerving across lanes of motorway traffic to make a last-second attempt to exit.
#أخبارنا | بثت #شرطة_أبوظبي بالتعاون مع مركز المتابعة والتحكم وضمن مبادرة "لكم التعليق" فيديو لحادث بسبب الانحراف المفاجئ .
التفاصيل :https://t.co/7oGZ9QOdPx#درب_السلامة #لكم_التعليق#الانحراف_المفاجئ pic.twitter.com/ko0U8ktMtO— شرطة أبوظبي (@ADPoliceHQ) July 21, 2023
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The dangers of sudden swerving or ‘sudden deviation’ has this week been highlighted by the Ministry of Interior (MOI) as one of the top causes of accidents in the UAE each year, along with distracted driving, tailgating, driving under the influence of banned substances, negligence and inattention.
In the first incident shown in the video, a motorist is shown to suddenly swerve in front of traffic to try and make an exit.
With another vehicle already in the lane, the black car crashes into the kerbing and a road sign, and overturns multiple times, causing a huge traffic incident and motorway pile-up.
In the second incident, another motorist is seen to attempt to cross multiple lanes at once, narrowly missing other vehicles before crashes into the kerbing, and ricocheting off another passing vehicle.
Earlier this week, MOI released its road safety statistics for 2022, revealing that there were 343 road fatalities last year across the country – a reduction of 10 percent from 2021 when there were 381 road collision-related deaths.
However, there was an overall increase in the number of serious traffic incidents, with the report revealing there were 3,945 ‘major’ accidents in 2022 – a 13 percent rise from 2021 (3,488).
The number of injuries related to road accidents also increased – with 5,045 people injured last year, compared to 4,377 in 2021 – a rise of 15 percent.
When it came to the fatalities and injuries on the country’s roads last year, the report found that young road users in the age bracket below 30 years are the most vulnerable, accounting for 41 percent of fatalities and 53 percent of those injured.
Aside from sudden deviation, distracted driving, tailgating, driving under the in-fluence of banned substances, negligence and inattention, other main traffic violations in 2022 involved red light violations, entering a road without checking it is clear, lane discipline and a lack of appreciation for road users.
The report broke down the traffic accidents and incidents by emirate.
Abu Dhabi reported 127 fatalities and 1,756 injured; Dubai 120 fatalities and 2,161 injured; Ras Al Khaimah 34 fatalities and 411 injured; Sharjah 33 fatalities and 320 injured; Ajman 13 fatalities and 166 injured; Umm Al Quwain 12 fatalities and 46 injured and Fujairah four fatalities and 185 injured.
Major accidents were caused by these vehicle classes: light vehicles (66 percent), motorcy-cle (16 percent), buses (seven percent), and heavy freight vehicles (five percent).
The report found evenings are the most dangerous time to be on the road, when 37 percent of fatalities and 40 percent of injuries were recorded.
Read more:
UAE traffic accidents on the rise, but less fatalities: Report
UAE road safety experts tell motorists not to ‘misbehave’ on roads during Ramadan
UAE road safety survey shows majority of summer crashes happen in evening rush hour