Dubai: A multi-pronged road safety approach that includes awareness campaigns, better driver training and high-quality road planning and construction has led to a significant improvement in road safety, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) top official said on the occasion of RTA’s 10th anniversary.

“The RTA has implemented a series of quick solutions to improve traffic in more than 120 spots, which resulted in improved traffic safety and mobility at such locations in varying degrees,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA. Listing the safety measures taken by RTA in coordination with Dubai Police, he said: “We constructed 100 footbridges and hundreds of pedestrian crossings that helped drop pedestrian fatalities from 8.4 deaths in 2006 to less than one death per 100,000 in 2014. We are giving highest priority to safety in all our road projects, while a dedicated school bus law ensured safety of students on roads.”

Al Tayer said that the RTA implemented a number of initiatives to improve traffic safety by studying and implementing the recommendations of a traffic safety strategy during 2008 to 2015, which resulted in lowering the fatality rate by about 70 per cent.

To further improve pedestrian safety, RTA will construct 17 footbridges by 2017.

The traffic safety efforts saw RTA winning a number of coveted international and regional traffic safety awards, including the Prince Michael International Award for Traffic Safety in 2012, Gulf Traffic Award for Traffic Safety Achievements in 2009 and 2013, and the IRF award for traffic safety.