Are speed limits effective in curbing road accidents in UAE?

Speed limit signs are the most important signposts on roads for most motorists. For many, knowing the maximum speed limit on a road is key to saving a lot of money, as a little inattention could cost hundreds, if not thousands, in speed radar fines.

Let’s look at some numbers.

In 2016, between the start of the year and up until October 23, Dubai Police had issued 16,005 speeding tickets to motorists driving over the 60km/h speed limit. This is a decrease from 20,859 fines in 2015.

There was also a significant drop in fines issued to motorists racing on the roads — from 362 in 2015 to 86 until October 23, 2016.

According to the Dubai Police, 18 people were killed in traffic incidents involving speeding vehicles, an increase from 13 deaths due to speeding in 2015

To better understand the role speed limits play in enhancing road safety and how the limits are set, Gulf News spoke with experts, road engineers and a Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official.

According to Maitha Mohammad Bin Adai, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, the main aim of setting speed limits is to reduce the number of speed-related casualties.

“Speed limits need to be appropriate for the road to which they apply and should reflect the road function, traffic composition, frontage development and road design characteristics. The objectives of speed management are accident and casualty reduction achieved through driver compliance with the posted speed limit,” said Bin Adai

By monitoring the number of speed-related casualties on a continuous basis, the effectiveness of the speed limit can be assessed, she added.

Over the last decade, road accidents in the UAE have reduced significantly due to stricter enforcement of law, better public safety campaigns and better quality of roads

source : gulfnews