Jaywalking, top cause of road accidents in Dubai

Jaywalking, or crossing the road in undesignated areas, is the major cause of road accidents in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the news site Gulf News reported.

According to the Dubai Police Traffic Department, jaywalking accounted for almost 95 percent of all pedestrian deaths this year.

In March alone, 2,748 persons were fined in Dubai for jaywalking while some 394 drivers were ticketed for failing to stop at pedestrian lanes, the report said.

Speeding topped the list of traffic violations in Dubai:

- 117,931 drivers exceeded the speed limit by 21 to 30 kilometers per hour (kph),
- 26,185 drivers by 31 to 40 kph,
- 7,185 drivers by 41 to 50 kph,
- 2,665 drivers by 51 to 60 kph, and
- 1,784 drivers by over 60 kph.

Some 3,890 drivers were caught using their mobile phones while driving, Gulf News said.

The other common road violations recorded in Dubai were:

- Parking at prohibited places (6,806 violators)
- Dangerous reversing (2,781 violators)
- Beating the red light (2,283 violators)
- Parking on pavements (1,758 violators)
- Swerving (1,760 violators)
- Entering the road without ensuring it is clear (1,298 violators)
- Lane discipline violation for light vehicles (5,286 violators)
- Wrong U-turn (2,086 violators)

Pinoys killed in road accidents

Several Filipinos have figured in road accidents in the UAE.

In February this year, a Filipino passenger was killed in Dubai’s neighboring emirate Abu Dhabi after suffering from severe injuries from a major car accident.

A Pakistani driver lost control of the vehicle that was carrying a Filipino passenger. The car rolled several times resting in a roadside away from the highway.

Last year, another Filipino in UAE died in a car crash.

The Filipino driver was said to have been speeding in the Khalid Port when he lost control of his vehicle that directly hit the waters.

An ambulance came in less than five minutes but the man was already dead when his body was removed from the water.

The Commission on Filipino Overseas estimated that some 636,154 Filipinos were residing in UAE as of 2010.

The United Arab Emirates is the fourth top destination for overseas Filipinos following the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Canada.