“Not leaving a safe distance” is the leading cause of traffic accidents in Ajman

The violation of not leaving enough space behind the vehicles in front topped the list of causes of accidents until the third quarter of this year, as it represented 50% of the total causes of traffic accidents, followed by the violation of reversing without making sure the road is clear at 30%, then failure to adhere to the mandatory lane and sudden deviation at 20%.

In detail, the Director of the Patrols Department at the General Command of Ajman Police, Lieutenant Colonel Fouad Al Khaja, stated that there are a number of wrong practices carried out by road users, all of which represent the main causes of traffic accidents, especially since there are compound violations committed by some drivers, including not leaving a sufficient safe distance from other cars, overtaking in a dangerous manner, overtaking from a prohibited place, and not using traffic signals.

Al Khajah told Al-Emarat Al-Youm that all traffic accidents that occur are mainly caused by a clear traffic violation, but the majority of accidents that occurred until the third quarter of this year were caused by violations that were not leaving a sufficient safe distance with the vehicles in front, as it alone represented 50% of traffic accidents, whether minor or serious.

He explained that some drivers do not take into account the safety distance and do not consider its importance in allowing them to stop in the event of any emergency or the vehicle in front stopping suddenly, which causes the two vehicles to collide with each other, pointing out that the safety distance is an important factor for any vehicle driver in preserving his life and the lives of others.

Al Khajah pointed out that the violation of reversing without ensuring that the road is clear came in second place, in terms of the violations that most cause accidents, by 30%, explaining that this violation represents a great danger because the driver does not look clearly behind him or relies only on the car camera, and this violation occurs as a result of being distracted by things other than the road and not paying attention to a specific exit on the road, so the driver is forced to reverse, warning of the danger of this violation on highways more than on internal roads.

He added that failure to adhere to the mandatory lane and sudden deviation constituted 20% of the total violations in the Emirate of Ajman, explaining that sudden deviation is one of the main reasons shared with other reasons for serious accidents, as it is a violation considered one of the violations called “hot violations”, explaining that this violation has similar violations, including not leaving a safe distance, entering the road without making sure it is empty, and being distracted by things other than the road.

He stated that the ministerial decision regarding the traffic violations schedule clarified that the penalty for not leaving sufficient distance is a fine of 400 dirhams and four traffic points, while the penalty for reversing in a dangerous manner is set at a fine of 500 dirhams and four traffic points.

He pointed out that a traffic violation will be issued to the person responsible if the accident is serious, but if it is minor, he will pay an accident planning fee to “Saed” in the amount of 500 dirhams.

• Colonel Fouad Al Khaja: A fine for the person who caused a serious accident… and a fee of 500 dirhams for planning the accident by “Saed” if it was minor.