New Dubai speed limits take effect from Sunday

Dubai: New reduced speed limits will come into force on Dubai’s two main highways, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road and the Emirates Road, from this Sunday, October 15. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the General HQ of Dubai Police have taken this decision as part of their efforts to curb traffic accidents and enhance the safety of road users. RTA and Dubai Police are coordinating several measures to maintain the safety of road users during the implementation of the project. These include changing the speed limit signs to 110km/h instead of 120km/h and the directional and awareness signage; which in turn govern the traffic relationship between road users. Every effort is made to adopt the top global standards and practices to ensure the provision of safe and smooth transport for all. If you want to avoid getting a speeding ticket, it is worth remembering that motorists will be issued a fine once they exceed the 130 km/h grace window for the speed limit. According to the UAE’s federal traffic law, motorists will be slapped with a Dh600 fine for exceeding the speed limit by 30 km/h, Dh700 for speeding by 40 km/h, and Dh1,000 if they drive 50 km/h over the speed limit. In September, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police announced the decision to reduce the speed limit on busy highways following a spate of accidents over the last two years. According to Dubai Police, both the highways have accounted for 39 lives each from the beginning of last year, which forced the authorities to revise the speed limits as at least 60 per cent of the accidents are associated with speeding. “The objective of reducing the speed limits on the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road is to curb traffic accidents, especially fatal accidents, and step up the safety of users on both roads. Speed is a key contributing or associated factor for at least 60 per cent of traffic road fatalities,” said Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zaffein, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police in an earlier interview. He added that lowering the speed limit on both the highways is an outcome of extensive studies conducted by the Dubai Police and the RTA for raising the traffic safety levels and associated traffic fatalities. “The move is compatible with the Dubai Police strategy aimed at reducing traffic accidents to zero per cent per 100 of the population,” he said. Figures from Dubai Police showed that during the first half of this year, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road was the scene of 99 accidents resulting in six fatalities and 78 injuries. In 2016, the highway saw 196 accidents resulting in 33 deaths and 249 injuries. Similarly, the Emirates Road witnessed 40 accidents during the first half of this year resulting in 10 fatalities and 75 injuries. Last year, the highway saw 86 accidents involving 29 deaths and 147 injuries. A periodic review is carried out to speed limits on some vital streets and highways in Dubai to adjust the speed limits up or down depending on the condition of the road and the surrounding environment, in coordination with strategic partners.