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The latest statistics issued by the Traffic and Patrols Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police show a significant improvement in traffic safety over the past five years (2010-2015). According to Brigadier Eng. Hussein Ahmed Al Harithi, Director of Traffic and Patrols Directorate due to this significant decline, fatalities caused by run-over accidents dropped by 54%, traffic accidents by 40%, fatalities caused by traffic accidents by 35%, and serious injuries decreased by 50%. Moreover, traffic-related fatalities decreased by 59% per 100,000 inhabitants, despite the increased number of registered vehicles by 12% over the period.
Brigadier Al Harithi attributed the continuous improvement in the levels of traffic safety to the directorate’s diligent and rigorous efforts in implementing the comprehensive plan, which was developed and approved in 2010. The long-term plan focuses on road engineering development; traffic control; awareness and education, rapid emergency response and healthcare, and continuous evaluation of outcomes and performance indicators; and community partnership. Several initiatives have been implemented as a part of this plan, in addition to an integrated speed management strategy, increasing enforcement and automated traffic control devices, and developing a system to identify motorists who jump red lights.
Brigadier Al Harithi noted that the increase in the annual average improvement of traffic safety rates over the period is the result of the unrelenting efforts and the ongoing review of the traffic safety plan. He explained that the annual average improvement over the period are as follows: an 8% decrease in traffic accidents, 7% decrease in fatalities, 10% decrease in serious injuries, 11% decrease in pedestrian fatalities, and 12% decrease in fatality rates per 10,000 vehicles.
Adding further, he said that the directorate has already initiated phase 2 of the long-term strategic plan that includes 6 key pillars, known as 6E+I for the next five years and aims at decreasing traffic accidents’ fatalities to 3% per 100,000 inhabitants by 2021. This will be achieved by developing operational plans in the field of traffic safety, in accordance with the best international practices, as an integral part of its long term plan in a bid to achieve zero fatalities on the roads by 2030.
He said that the launching of phase 2 of the long-term five-phase plan, comes in line with the efforts to build on the positive results that have been achieved in Abu Dhabi in terms of traffic safety during the past 5 years (2010-2014), and is a part of the traffic safety strategy implemented by the directorate and its future vision to achieve zero fatalities by 2030.
Brigadier Al Harithi stated that the directorate’s plan for the next five years is split in two main sections. The first section aims at developing the skills and abilities of the national cadres to carry out their various tasks and duties with professionalism, and provide them with the necessary skills to address any future challenges. This will be achieved by developing the traffic institute and partnership programs with leading traffic-related educational and research facilities, as well as by adopting accredited or equivalent educational and training programs provided at the institute locally and internationally, implementing performance indicators and identifying the training needs of the directorate’s staff.
Brigadier Al Harithi also noted that the second section of the directorate’s plan focuses on further developing the systems and programs that support the implementation of best international practices and the use of artificial intelligence-based systems by utilizing geographic information systems; traffic lights control systems; movement of vehicles on bridges; traffic control and monitoring via smart systems and programs; patrols distribution; as well as using three-dimensional traffic flow simulation software in order to ensure sustainable traffic safety and to avoid the reasons that lead to traffic accidents and their resulting deaths and severe injuries.
Furthermore, Brigadier Al Harithi gave an overview of the most prominent ongoing projects that are being implemented by the directorate; and said: “In the coming period, we will be launching the smart traffic systems’ center at the Traffic and Patrols Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police, which is equipped with advanced software that operates as an integrated system to manage traffic practices. The integrated system also monitors and evaluates traffic flow on roads in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the performance of the directorate’s staff members, and increases the efficiency of the human resources.”
Adding further, he said: “The Center is powered by artificial intelligence, and has the ability to connect several traffic systems; it will achieve integration in the evaluation and analysis of the systems and can completely restructure traffic. The center monitors traffic flow at all times through the control rooms that are equipped with the latest technologies, thus solving issues related to traffic congestion. The center also monitors the roads in order to avoid confusion or congestion likely caused by traffic diversions and heavy vehicles on the road.”
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