11-07-2006
Over 31,000 seatbelt rule violations recorded
Over 31,000 violations of seatbelt rule were regsitered by the Abu Dhabi Traffic Police during its four-month seatbelt campaign which concluded yesterday.
The campaign launched during the period from March 4 till July 10 was aimed at raising awareness among motorists on the importance of using seatbelt while driving. This campaign was organised by the Department of Traffic and Patrol at the general headquarters of Abu Dhabi Police in conjunction with both Adnoc Distribution and Emirates Association for Traffic Safety.
The Director of the Department of Traffic and Patrols, Colonel Ghaith Hassan Al Zaabi, pointed out that the campaign aimed at raising the awareness of motorists on the importance of fastening seatbelts by distributing publications and sticking posters in Abu Dhabi.
Different mass media outlets have participated in the campaign which focused on educating the public on the need to reduce traffic accidents, which may result in injuries and deaths due to not adhering to traffic rules. Col Al Zaabi pointed out that the campaign witnessed a huge response from motorists as the percentage of people using seatbelts had reached 51.5 per cent after three months of the launch of the campaign, compared to 35.4 per cent before its launch. The indicators of the campaign revealed that the UAE nationals were on top of the list of motorists not abiding by the rule (only 14.5pc followed the seatbelt rule) after the campaign, compared to 5.8 per cent before its implementation.
It was also indicated that there is a strong relationship between fastening the seatbelt and the vehicles’ glass tint. Those who drive dark tinted-glass cars used the seatbelt with a percentage of only 29.5 per cent after the campaign compared to 18.2 per cent before it. Col Al Zaabi underlined that the Abu Dhabi police are interested in the scientific parameters of the study, which is being done by the researcher Dr Yousuf Al Hosani.
In addition, he underscored the efforts exerted by the Department of Traffic to dedicate traffic safety by increasing the awareness programmes and expanding the use of electronic control bodies so that they can continue monitoring the violators 24 hours a day.
Meanwhile, Col Al Zaabi pointed out that the violations monitored throughout the three months of the campaign for not putting on the seatbelt came to 31,660, nearly 12 per cent of the overall number of violations recorded at the same period. On the other hand, Dr Al Hosni, a specialist in preventive medicine and public health and a researcher in the field of traffic safety, said that the next stage would witness analysing and studying the parameters obtained before and after launching the campaign, stressing the necessity to buckle up at all times in order to reach satisfactory results and to curb accidents that lead to injuries and death.
THE AbuHhabi. khaleej times
THE AbuHhabi. khaleej times
