Two folks killed in e-scooter crashes in Dubai have been injured so badly that they died on the way in which to the hospital, police stated.
Senior officers in Dubai attended 21 critical accidents involving e-scooters in 2021, together with two fatalities. An extra 10 critical accidents have been recorded between January and June of this 12 months.
Hundreds extra minor accidents are believed to have occurred however didn’t require police to attend. No nationwide figures have been made obtainable.
At a press convention in Dubai on Wednesday, senior cops from forces throughout the nation stated that extra lives can be misplaced with out larger consciousness by riders and motorists.
There was an incident of a rider transporting fuel cylinders on his e-scooter and one other transporting three folks
Brig Salem Al Dhaheri, Federal Traffic Council and Abu Dhabi Police
Brig Ahmed Al Naqbi, head of visitors consciousness on the Federal Traffic Council and head of the visitors division at Ras Al Khaimah Police, stated each dying was preventable.
“The numbers are not alarming, but we want to prevent more e-scooter accidents from happening,” he said.
Local laws in Dubai and Abu Dhabi make it an offence to ride an e-scooter, or a bicycle, without a helmet. But riders without helmets are a common sight and police want to tackle this.
Hiring an e-scooter, which does not come with a helmet attached, is one of the issues about which officers need to create awareness.
Dubai Police said the crashes last year injured 19 people, 12 of whom suffered moderate injuries. Between January and June 2 this year, 10 e-scooter accidents were dealt with by the emirate’s traffic police.
The incidents last year led to two deaths, in Al Nahda on the Sharjah border and in Jumeirah Village. The scooters the victims were riding were hit by vehicles.
One police official told The National that the dead riders “didn’t stand a chance” when hit.
Three other people were taken to hospital with severe injuries and five more sustained minor to moderate injuries.
Last month, a rider told The National how she shattered her elbow and required surgery after losing her balance and falling.
Pinky Caballero, a hospital nurse, needed surgery during which metal rods were inserted into her arm after the accident.
Ms Cabellero, who was wearing a helmet and chest protector at the time of the accident, crashed a short distance from her home in the Al Waleed building in Barsha, close to the Mashreq Bank Metro Station.
“The streets were quite crowded, so I could not go very fast. I just lost balance,” she advised The National.
Col Juma bin Swaidan, deputy head of Dubai Police’s visitors division, stated authorities are appearing.
“Using e-scooters has recently become very popular among members of the public, some of whom even use them to go to work,” Col Juma stated.
“A committee comprising members from traffic departments and transport authorities across the country are currently working on a draft law to regulate the use of e-scooters.”
Among the subjects being mentioned is to dedicate roads for e-scooter riders throughout all emirates to assist cease their random use which will trigger deadly accidents.
“The severity of injuries that result from accidents involving electric scooters is far more serious than those resulting from other types of accidents,” Brig Ahmed stated.
“These accidents [can be] fatal and can cause severe head injuries and multiple fractures.”
Riders in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah have been noticed utilizing e-scooters to move items and other people.
“There was an incident of a rider transporting gas cylinders on his e-scooter and another transporting three people,” stated Brig Salem Al Dhaheri, a Federal Traffic Council member from Abu Dhabi Police.
One accident involving e-scooters in Sharjah this 12 months led to a clampdown on riders who will not be following security guidelines and resulted in 168 electrical scooters being confiscated between January and April.
“E-scooters are being dealt with in the same way we deal with bicycles, and riders who use e-scooters on main roads will get their e-scooters confiscated,” stated Capt Saud Al Shaiba, director of visitors consciousness at Sharjah Police.
In Dubai, riders should move a web based take a look at that focuses on the principles of the highway. People who maintain a legitimate driving licence are exempt.
In one month after asserting that allows have been required, the emirate’s Roads and Transports Authority issued about 22,000 permits.
“Large numbers of people have applied for permits and when they do, they are provided with all the safety information they need,” stated Hussain Al Banna, govt director at RTA.
Updated: June 08, 2022, 5:32 PM