FNI to present at Road Network Safety Management Executive Seminar in Dubai, UAE
The United Arab Emirates is a country experiencing rapid development and an associated growing number of cars and road users [1]. Accordingly, road safety is a concern that is accompanying this rise in motor vehicle traffic. A 2009 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Status Report on Road Safety found that the estimated traffic death rate in the UAE was 37.1 per 100,000 people, which is two to three times higher than the equivalent rates in Australia and the United Kingdom [2]. A daily average of 3 fatalities and over 25 injuries due to road crashes is incurring a cost in the UAE of approximately 2.5% of GDP [3].
Hassan et al. revealed that the main factors contributing to traffic safety in the UAE are driving behaviour, awareness, education and training, infrastructure, vehicles, law enforcement, coordination and quality of resources [3].
To address road safety concerns, the UAE National Agenda demonstrates a set of national indicators in the sectors of education, healthcare, economy, police and security, housing, infrastructure and government services which are to be improved as part of the UAE Vision 2021 project [4]. Road traffic death rate per 100 thousand population is one such performance measure to be addressed in the Vision 2021 program. This indicator measures the number of deaths resulting from road accidents per 100,000 population annually. The target is to reduce this number to an average of 3 deaths/100,000 population, thereby placing the UAE among the top 5 safest countries in the world according to the World Health Organization rankings [4].
The undertaking of road safety improvements has been a collective effort by the police, transportation and the health sectors in the UAE. New laws and regulations to improve traffic safety have been introduced including mandating and the enforcement of seat belts for rear seat passengers and child car seats [2]. In the emirate of Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) launched its first ‘Safety Awards’ campaign to recognize and reward the best safety practices in the emirate. Educating young and future drivers is a priority with 33,500 students attending a series of 200 lectures on road safety during the 2012-2013 academic year in Abu Dhabi [5].
As part of the effort to improve road safety, the IRF will host an Executive Seminar on Road Network Safety Management in Dubai from September 4-8. Craig Milligan will be one of the lead instructors at this course. To learn more and to register, click here.
References
[1] E. H. M. Grivna and Abu-Zidan FM, "Pediatric and Youth Traffic-Collision Injuries in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates: A Prospective Study," PLoS ONE, vol. 8, no. 7, 2013.
[2] M. Grivna, T.-C. Aw, M. El-Sadig, T. Loney, A. A. Sharif, J. Thomsen, M. Mauzi and F. M. Abu-Zidan, "The legal framework and initiatives for promoting safety in the United Arab Emirates," International journal of injury control and safety promotion, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 278-289, 2012.
[3] M. N. Hassan, Y. E. Hawas and M. A. Maraqa, "A holistic approach for assessing traffic safety in the United Arab Emirates," Accident Analysis & Prevention, vol. 45, pp. 554-564, 2012.
[4] "UAE Vision 2021," 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.vision2021.ae/en.
[5] "33,500 students at road safety lectures in Abu Dhabi," Gulf News, 10 June 2013.