Abu Dhabi, August 27: Road accidents in the UAE for the first half of 2009 have increased by 11.5 per cent while fatalities have decreased by 2.6 per cent compared to the same period last year.
According to the figures from the General Directorate of Traffic Coordination at the Ministry of Interior (MoI), traffic accidents for the first six months of 2009 went up to 5,026 compared to 4,506 in 2008.
The number of fatalities on UAE roads dropped to 496 from January to June this year against 509 deaths for the same period in 2008. Colonel Ghaith Hassan Al Zaabi, General Director of the General Directorate of Traffic Coordination at the MoI, attributed the increase in road accidents to the numerous roadworks, rise in the number of people receiving their driving licences and more cars getting registered.
–Agencies