Dubai has been ranked the second-safest city in the world in which to drive, according to an extensive study into the quality of driving internationally commissioned by Kfzteile24, an online car parts retailer in Germany.
The factors rated in the study include: average vehicle age; congestion levels; public transport options; average cost of parking; cost of fuel; average speeds; levels of air pollution; accidents and fatalities; road quality; and frequency/perception of road rage.
The study covered 500 cities with the highest number of registered vehicles. Dusseldorf is the safest city in the world in which to drive. The other cities in the top 10 are: Zurich, Tokyo, Basel, Singapore, Dortmund, Vienna, Munich and Calgary.
Dubai ranks best on road quality, but ranked lower than other countries in the top 10 in pollution scores.
Meanwhile, the Dubai Police announced that there was a 36% decrease in motor accident casualties in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period in 2016.
During the first eight months of this year, 90 people were killed and 1,287 others injured in major traffic accidents, compared to 139 deaths and injuries to 1,347 people in the same period in 2016. Nearly 3,584 cars were damaged in the accidents so far this year.
Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Director of Traffic Department at Dubai Police, told Gulf News that in recent years, extensive awareness campaigns had been conducted in Dubai and these had helped raise awareness among drivers.
He said the latest changes in the traffic law helped to instil more discipline on the roads too. The new Federal Traffic Law came into effect on 1 July bringing in stiffer laws, fines and penalties for motorists who flout rules and road safety.
“Speeding and distraction were among the reasons behind the serious accidents, though one of the major offences was not maintaining a safe distance between vehicles which led to 41 deaths this year. Some people think it is a minor offence but it is a serious one,” Brig Al Mazroui said. M