In a new pilot scheme Dubai's transport authority has started colouring parts of roads red in the city, to highlight reduction in speed limits in a bid to improve road safety.
The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has painted highways such as Oud Metha Street near Bu Kadrah Interchange along the extension of Dubai-Al Ain Street, where the maximum speed limit has been reduced from 100 to 80 kilometres per hour, according to state news agency WAM.
Maitha bin Adai, CEO of the RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, said "The experiment was carried out. The process involved colouring all lanes in an eye-catching style to alert road users of the new speed limit”.
"Asphalt colouring will also be used in phases at locations subject to speed changes on other vital roads in Dubai. Therefore, we expect motorists to get used to this for their own safety and avoid offences and accidents resulting from speeding," she added.
The red paint will be implemented next on Sheikh Zayed Road near the fifth interchange where the speed limit has been reduced from 120 kph to 100 kph. It will also be applied to the Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road near Lehbab, where the speed limit has also been reduced from 120 kph to 100 kph.
She said the experiment will be evaluated to verify its impact on drivers’ attitudes. “It is expected that the procedure will significantly increase compliance with specified speeds and avoid potential accidents," said Adai.
Traffic fatalities have fallen from 332 in 2006 to 166 in 2015, and mortality rates went down from 21.7 deaths per 100,000 people in 2006 to 3.5 per 100,000 people in 2016, WAM said.
Regarding the new road safety measure, Adai said "We anticipate that this course of action will contribute to lowering the number of future accidents".