UAE Together safety campaign urges more respect for
pedestrians
Ramona Ruiz
ABU DHABI // Road safety experts have welcomed a call for
drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to have greater respect on the roads.
The Twitter and Facebook accounts of UAE Together have been
inundated with road safety messages using the hashtags #Pedestriansfirst and
#ShareTheRoad.
UAE Together is a campaign by Abu Dhabi Police to educate
the public about traffic rules and regulations, and the need to look out for
each other.
“This is brilliant because it is so true,” said Thomas
Edelmann, founder of website Road Safety UAE, of the ShareTheRoad tag.
“The one simple way to get rid of all our traffic woes is to
treat others like you want to be treated. We have to drive with each other, not
against each other.”
All motorists, he said, must remind themselves that they are
also pedestrians the moment they step out of their cars.
Brendan Halleman, deputy project director at International
Road Federation in the US, was equally enthusiastic.
“Sharing the road is exactly the right message,” Mr Halleman
said. “After all, everyone is a pedestrian at some point in the day.”
Worldwide, more than half of all those killed in crashes are
pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists, he said.
Of the 63 traffic-related deaths in Abu Dhabi in the first
three months of this year, 33 were caused by vehicle crashes, 22 pedestrians
were killed and eight people died after the cars they were travelling in
overturned.
Most fatal accidents were caused by drivers not giving
priority to pedestrians crossing roads, sudden swerving, speeding in unstable
road conditions, burst tyres and tailgating, said traffic police chief Brig Gen
Hussain Al Harithi.
The road safety initiative also asks drivers to slow down “as
a pedestrian may pop out of nowhere”.
It reminds motorists that they share the road with other
users and that “traffic safety is everyone’s responsibility”.
“Simple as this: cars on roads, pedestrians on sidewalks and
cyclists on cyclists’ lanes. #Sharetheroad,” read another tweet.
Residents were invited to share their thoughts under the
hashtag, and asked to reply “yes” or “no” on Facebook if they felt a lack of
respect between road users was the reason behind accidents.
“Motorists are self-centred and even oblivious to
pedestrians who use designated zebra crossings,” said Roshanara Sait, director
of Ciel Marketing and Events, which organises road safety awareness campaigns
across the country.
UAE Together also tweeted hard-hitting messages such as “Road
users have equal rights, respect my rights #ShareTheRoad” and “The road belongs
to everyone. It’s road safety, not rocket science. #ShareTheRoad”.
Ramesh Menon, an Abu Dhabi resident for 25 years, said
pedestrians should also be aware of their surroundings.
“In Abu Dhabi and Dubai, I have seen pedestrians showing
little respect for their own safety while crossing the road in a hurry,” Mr
Menon said.
Ms Sait proposed sustainable road safety campaigns to raise
awareness and highlight the dangers for both pedestrians and the motorists.
“Pedestrians in the UAE are still uneducated as far as their
safety is concerned,” Mr Menon said.
rruiz@thenational.ae
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