Over 700 accidents during Eid in Dubai, almost none in Sharjah

The Dubai Police's traffic department reported 728 accidents in the emirate during the Eid Al Adha holiday. The police operations room received 125,867 calls, said Colonel Turki bin Fares, director of the command and control centre of Dubai Police. Most of the accidents were caused by speeding, failing to leave space between vehicles, lack of attention while driving and a general failure to abide by traffic rules. Col bin Fares asked drivers to be particularly vigilant at intersections and to ensure the streets are pedestrian-free before going through, especially at crossing areas and residential neighbourhoods. The public are urged to call 999 only for emergencies and 901 to inquire about the various services provided by the Dubai Police, noting that non-emergency calls on 999 wasted and diverted the time and attention from those who needed it urgently. In Sharjah, there were almost zero accidents during the Eid weekend. The Sharjah Police received 14,364 calls between September 1 and 3 on traffic problems, emergency and non-emergency cases, but only one accident causing minor injuries was reported. A top Sharjah Police official said that the traffic force set up an efficient plan to control road movement and ensure security during the Eid holiday, deploying over 90 patrols around the emirate. The plan was executed as part of the Ministry of Interior's strategy to make roads safer, control traffic flow and bring fatal accidents down to zero. "Traffic awareness messages through the various forms of media - including social media - have played a key role in reducing accidents and ensuring smooth flow," he said, also urging callers to call 999 only for emergencies and stick to 901 for non-emergency situations.