50 Accidents in 20 Minutes Cause Dubai Rush Hour Chaos

_{Photo:X/Dubaipolice}

On Monday morning in Dubai, the official Dubai Police app registered approximately 50 road accidents within a brief 20-minute timeframe, causing substantial disruptions during the rush hour. At 9 am, an overview map of the emirate displayed a proliferation of purple icons denoting collisions scattered across the city.

This surge in accidents led to severe congestion on vital arterial roads throughout the city. Concurrently, Dubai Police issued alerts regarding two major accidents causing extensive tailbacks. The first incident occurred on Hessa Street, opposite Saudi German Hospital, heading toward Sheikh Zayed Road. A collision on this crucial route resulted in a significant traffic jam, prompting authorities to advise residents to seek alternative routes.

The second major accident took place on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, opposite International City, heading towards Sharjah, further exacerbating traffic obstruction.

Dubai Police shared a video capturing one of the collisions at a junction. The footage revealed a 4WD vehicle colliding with a sedan while executing a U-turn. The impact caused the sedan, seemingly having crossed a stoplight, to skid across multiple lanes before coming to a stop at the box junction. Subsequent scenes showed police presence at the scene, blocking one lane at the intersection, forcing vehicles to navigate around the crash site.

Amid these traffic challenges, Dubai is actively implementing various road improvement projects aimed at mitigating congestion and reducing travel times between emirates. Notably, a newly announced bridge from Sheikh Zayed Road to Dubai Harbour is anticipated to reduce travel time from 12 to three minutes. This 1,500-meter bridge will facilitate two lanes in each direction, ensuring smooth traffic flow to and from Dubai Harbour.

Additionally, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently completed a project to enhance traffic flow along a 2km stretch of road, from the intersection of Algeria Street and Al Khawaneej Street (South) to the intersection of Tunis Street (North) at Al Muhaisnah (1) and Al Mizhar (1).

In a bid to streamline accident reporting and investigations, Dubai Police is gearing up to launch a new artificial intelligence-powered system. This system aims to simplify the reporting process for drivers and expedite fault determination, thereby saving time and resources for law enforcement. The anticipated benefits include a 50% reduction in manual tasks and processes.

Despite these proactive measures, concerns persist over unsafe practices on the road. In the first eight months of 2023, Dubai Police reported over 35,000 cases of drivers using mobile phones behind the wheel. This perilous behavior resulted in 99 accidents, causing six fatalities and injuring 58 individuals. Offenders face a Dh800 fine and four black points.

Furthermore, data revealed that eight people lost their lives, and 339 others were injured in run-over accidents in 2023, particularly when pedestrians crossed roads from undesignated areas. Dubai Police recorded the highest number of jaywalking violations in September 2023, with 4,591 instances, followed by May (4,252), October (4,239), and August (4,169).

Feb. 5, 2024 4:13 p.m. 2143

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