U-turn danger still lurks on Dubai's fatal crash road

By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter (Gulf News Article)
Published: August 03, 2008, 00:09
Dubai: Although two more U-turns on Al Wasl Road have been closed following recent horrific accidents motorists believe the road is still dangerous and blame the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) for not taking enough safety measures. 
"There is a need to install signals on the existing U-turns because they are quite dangerous," said Jenny S., an Al Wasl resident. 
She said it takes a long time to make a U-turn on this road because of heavy traffic flow. 
"Motorists have to take risks as they become impatient and frustrated waiting for their turn," she said. 
Irfan Khan, who uses the road every day to get to his office, said although the speed limit had been reduced from 80km/h to 70 km/h, U-turns were still very dangerous on this road. 
"Are the authorities waiting for the loss of more lives before installing signals at the U-turns? We dread driving on this road because cars suddenly appear from the U-turns which are without signals, posing a danger to other motorists."

Burnt alive
Three members of a Pakistani family, including a two-year-old girl, were burnt alive in May after their car was hit by another vehicle while they were making a U-turn. Two people also died in January after their car was burnt at a U-turn on Al Wasl Road. Another died in a similar accident last year. As well as closing a couple of U-turns Dubai Municipality has cut down several trees because they were obscuring the view of motorists. The Al Wasl Road is a 14-km stretch with 22 U-turns without traffic lights. This translates into one dangerous U-turn every 630 metres, posing a threat to motorists on this busy road. The arterial road, which stretches from Al Dhiyafa Street to Umm Suqeim Road also has five intersections and three U-turns with traffic lights. 
A motorist has to wait a long time to make a U- turn because of the heavy flow of traffic, which has increased manifold during the past year as many motorists have started using it more to avoid the Salik toll gates on Shaikh Zayed Road. During rush hour, long queues of vehicles leave scant chance for motorists to take a U-turn. "We have been waiting for the authorities concerned to install signals but no action has been taken," said a resident. According to Traffic Department statistics there were 16 accidents at U-turns on Al Wasl Road from January 1, 2007 until May 10, 2008. Six people were killed in those accidents, two sustained serious injuries and 27 sustained moderate to minor injuries. 
An RTA official said they have been studying the traffic situation on the Al Wasl Road and would soon solve the problem. 
"We have closed many U-turns on other roads as well and have also installed signals on many others," said the official. 

Timed: It takes 30 seconds
Brigadier Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department and an expert in roads and traffic engineering, explained making a U-turn is a process that takes some time. The car is usually moving at a speed of 5km/h. Therefore, if a car comes from the opposite direction at a speed not less than 80km/h and there is an accident, injuries will be moderate to serious in nature. "Making a U-turn takes at least 30 seconds and the car usually takes two-and-a-half lanes. It is difficult to get a gap of 30 seconds when other cars are coming at a speed of 80 or 100km/h," Brig Al Zafein said.