Under the supervision of the Federal Traffic Council, the Ministry of Interior has launched the “Summer without Accidents” Campaign in the UAE. The campaign aims to reduce the number of road accidents in the summer season, which have increased significantly in last few years. In the summer of 2016 alone, 167 people died because of fatal road accidents in the UAE. The new campaign will focus on improving the traffic monitoring of roads across the UAE to ensure maximum safety of all commuters in the long summer season and eventually bring down the number of road fatalities to a bare minimum.
Also read: Car Maintenance Advice for a Daunting Summer Season
Official Statement about the “Summer without Accidents” Campaign
The Assistant Commander in Chief of Dubai Police for Operational Affairs and the Director of FTC, Major-General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein stated that the aim of the new campaign is to ensure zero road deaths in the UAE this summer or at least reduce the road deaths to a bare minimum. He said that road accidents increase mostly in the summer holidays as people plan long road trips with family and friends. The official statistics revealed that 464 people lost their lives in road accidents in the months of summer between 2014 and 2016.
Major Saif Al Zafein briefed the media about the new campaign and said that multiple patrols deployed on roads across the UAE will stop random vehicles to check the tyres’ condition. Old and weak tyres become vulnerable to blowouts in summer as they cannot withstand the extra heat absorbed by roads in summer. Major Saif Al Zafein added that road temperatures can rise as high as 90 Degree Celsius in summer and this is when most of the tyre blowouts occur. He also advised the motorists to avoid the use of mobile phone and other distractions while driving to ensure maximum road safety.
Lieutenant-Colonel Al Saeed Al Shehi of the Ministry of Interior said that authorities will distribute informational flyers to aware motorists of places where they can get their car tyres checked and keep them in the best possible condition. He also advised the motorists to cooperate with the traffic authorities and avoid fatal traffic violations like tailgating and over-speeding.
Why Road Accidents Increase in Summer Season?
There could be many factors that can induce a dangerous road situation in summer. From poor maintenance of the cars to driver’s inability to make small adjustments at the right time to avoid a potential collision, there are multiple reasons for the increased number of road accidents in summer.
- Summer holidays are the time of the year when there are maximum young drivers on the road. According to a statistic, young drivers aged between 18 and 30 caused 44% of road accidents in Abu Dhabi in first four months of 2016. Young drivers cause a large number of accidents because they lack the experience of driving in challenging road and weather conditions. This is one of the major reasons for increased road accidents in summer, not only in the UAE but also all over the world.
- Summer heat in the UAE can take its toll on any vehicle and especially on the poorly maintained vehicles that cannot sustain the hot and humid weather conditions. A number of mechanical parts of these cars are prone to damage in extra heat which increases the probability of a dangerous breakdown situation and can be fatal at times on a busy road. Such precarious situations can be effectively avoided with regular maintenance of a car.
For a complete maintenance guide to keep your vehicle in best conditions throughout the long summer season, read our blog.
- Old or poorly maintained tyres are a primary reason for fatal road accidents in the summer season. Old tyres or tyres with poor tread condition are at maximum risk of a blowout in the extremely hot weather conditions. Motorists must keep check of the condition of the tyre tread and get their tyres properly inflated before leaving for any journey in the summer season.
For a complete guide on maintenance of car tyres, read our blog.
- Maximum roadside constructions are underway during the summer season to benefit from the warmer conditions. However, this can in turn create challenging driving conditions for motorists, as their regular routes with which they are familiar, are closed due to diversions. Road maintenance also increases the chances of traffic jams due to shutting down of certain roads or lanes that are under maintenance. In such challenging road conditions, drivers have to maintain extra attention while driving to keep up with the diversions as any small mistake induced by the fear of missing an exit or turn can cause a potentially fatal road accident.
Summer Driving Tips for Motorists
In summer, motorists must adopt safe driving habits in order to ensure their safety and the safety of all other passengers inside the car. Driving in summer can be trouble-free if motorists comply with the following important summer driving tips:
- Motorists should prefer travelling in the morning or at night to avoid extremely hot driving conditions in the afternoon.
- Before setting off for any long road trip in summer, it is important to get car tyres inspected for inflation and tyre tread condition. Tyres must be replaced if they are too weak or have a very poor tread condition.
- Motorists should know the effective use of Google Maps to locate nearby fuel stations in case their vehicle runs short on fuel while they are on a long trip.
Read our blog to know how to use Google Maps in an Effective Way.
- Motorists should not set off for a long road trip on an old vehicle that is either poorly maintained or is too old to sustain a long road trip in summer. Vehicles that ask for constant mechanical repairs are the ones with the maximum chances of a breakdown in hot driving conditions as most of the mechanical parts cannot sustain the extra heat of the UAE’s summer season.
With the “Summer without Accidents” Campaign, the traffic authorities in the UAE aim to achieve zero road deaths target in the summer of 2017. It will only be made possible if the motorists also realize their responsibility and cooperate with the authorities by following safe driving practices in the long summer season.
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