The number of road accidents in the UAE is growing rapidly due to the increasing rate of human errors.
The UAE’s traffic laws specify some driving rules to protect the lives of road users and reduce traffic casualties.
Let us examine some of the traffic rules in the UAE, the implications of traffic violations on accidents, and how a fleet management system can help.
UAE’s Traffic Rules To Follow To Avoid Accidents
1.Seat Belts:
Drivers and all passengers in a vehicle must wear seat belts. Children up to 4 years old must be buckled up in a child safety seat.
In case of any violation, the driver of the vehicle will be punished with a fine of AED 400 and four black points.
2.Speeding:
If a driver exceeds the speed limit by 80 kmph, then he will be levied a fine of AED 3,000 along with 23 black points, and his vehicle will be confiscated for 60 days.
Here are more speeding limits and fines applicable as per new rules.
3.Reckless Driving:
If a driver drives a vehicle recklessly and endangers the lives of others, then he will be punished with a fine of AED 2,000 along with 23 black points, and his vehicle will be confiscated for 60 days.
Sudden swerving: If a driver changes the direction of the vehicle abruptly, then he will be fined AED 1000 along with 4 black points.
4.Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs:
If a driver is caught under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, then the court will decide the fine and/or jail term.
Additionally, his license will be suspended for one year, starting from the day of the court’s verdict.
5.Ignoring Traffic Signals:
If a driver ignores traffic lights and jumps red signals, then he will be fined AED 1,000 along with a penalty of 12 black points. Also, his vehicle will be seized for 30 days.
6.Distractions:
If a driver is found using a mobile phone or any other distraction while driving, then he will be fined AED 800 and penalized with 4 black points.
7.Driver Behavior:
There are fines levied for the following violations:
throwing garbage while driving
not leaving a safe distance between vehicles (tailgating)
overtaking from the wrong side or using the hard shoulder
crowding around accident sites
transporting passengers illegally
8.Expired Tyres:
If a driver drives a vehicle with expired tyres, then he will be charged a fine of AED 500 along with 4 black points, and the vehicle will be confiscated for 7 days.
9.Driving Noisy Vehicle:
If a driver drives a noisy vehicle, then he will be charged with a fine of AED 2000 along with 6 black points.
10.Driving without Valid Insurance/Vehicle Registration:
If a driver drives a vehicle without valid insurance or vehicle registration (number plate), then he will be fined AED 500 along with 4 black points, and the vehicle is confiscated for 7 days.
Implications of Violating Traffic Rules on Accidents
Apart from the fines and penalties levied on drivers, violating traffic rules mean accidents and traffic casualties.
Road accidents are one of the leading causes of traffic casualties and deaths in the UAE.
Traffic accidents occur when drivers fail to abide by traffic laws and violate driving rules.
Based on the UAE road accident statistics, the most common causes of road accidents are:
Excessive speeding
Use of mobile phones and texting while driving
Driver fatigue
Tailgating
Overtaking
Not wearing seatbelts
Lack of lane discipline
Ignoring traffic signals
As per the latest data available, road accidents caused 6,681 causalities in 2016.
In 2017, there were 525 deaths caused by road accidents.
In 2019, the rate of road traffic death stood at 3.73 per 100 thousand population annually.
How Can A Fleet Management System Help Avoid Traffic Accidents?
Experts claim that transportation companies can reduce fleet accidents drastically by using effective fleet management technology.
Hence, more and more fleet operators in the UAE are turning to smart fleet management systems to keep track of their driver actions and behavior, ensure compliance to traffic laws and road safety policies, and help avoid accidents. Here’s how a fleet management system helps.
In-Vehicle Monitoring:
AI-based telematics, in-vehicle behavior monitoring devices, and driver profiling tools help fleet managers track fleets, monitor and analyze driver actions and behavior, and track driving hours.
Proactive driver monitoring ensures driver compliance and reduces vehicle accident rates.
These systems have the potential to identify at-risk drivers and top-performing drivers, encourage good behavior, and provide feedback, without the need for human intervention.
Real-time Alerts & Notifications:
Fleet Managers receive real-time alerts and notifications about safety concerns in the vehicles, such as:
Seat belt usage
Driver alertness or signs of alcohol or drugs usage
Driver behavior, including over speeding, sudden turns, hard braking, and entry into NO GO zones.
Accidents and other emergencies
The system ensures that driver eyes are always on the road by sending real-time updates of important events and distractions to the fleet manager.
In case of an emergency, the app-based Panic Alarm triggers an alert that is sent on the fleet manager’s phone, enabling him to take immediate action.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems:
GPS Tracking System, integrated with advanced safety technologies, help to prevent accidents.
Driver Coaching Tools provide real-time, verbal coaching to drivers to help them understand precisely how they need to drive their vehicles to be safe and efficient.
Electronic Stability Control System can anticipate a loss of control or rollover situation if the driver swerves suddenly, and can even apply brakes to control the situation.
Collision Mitigation System uses radar technology to detect metallic objects up to 500 feet in front, gives out alerts, and applies automatic brakes if the driver fails to keep a safe distance.
Lane Assist systems use a motion camera to detect lane markings, detect the vehicle position, and warn the driver if the bus starts to drift. If the driver fails to notice, it automatically steers the vehicle back in line.
Intelligent Speed Assistance uses GPS linked speed limit data or speed sign recognition cameras to alert drivers of the speed limits on a road and can even automatically cut off the acceleration.
End-to-End Safety Solutions:
The safety solutions help reduce accidents by enabling Fleet Managers to:
Identify and correct unwanted driving events, such as over-speeding, harsh cornering, etc.
Monitor drivers about their past performance and in comparison to other drivers in the fleet.
Implement targeted driver training based on the above factors.
Develop customized driver safety policies.
Advanced Insights with Fleet Safety Reports:
Fleet risk and safety reports provide fleet managers greater insight into driver behavior and performance and vehicle performance to improve efficiency.
Preventive Maintenance:
The preventive maintenance feature of the system helps fleet owners to keep the vehicles serviced and maintained at all times, so they stay safe and efficient on the roads.
The system tracks tyre expiry dates and scheduling of periodic tyre rotation.
Periodic inspection and maintenance services keep an eye on the tyres and their expiry dates, engine lubricants, transmission, brakes, and lights so that the fleet keeps operating uninterruptedly.
The fleet management system checks the status of each vehicle component and sends a detailed report to the fleet command center. Any vehicle part found noisy or faulty can be immediately repaired or replaced to avoid noise-related penalties.
Conclusion:
Safety is a big concern in fleet operations. So, drivers have to adhere to all traffic rules while driving to create a safe traffic environment for all road users.
An advanced fleet management system helps fleet owners to consistently monitor driver performance and behavior to ensure they are obeying the rules of roads to mitigate accidents.
So, are you ready to implement a fleet management system to transform your fleet operations and improve efficiency?
