Most Dubai traffic accidents reported in June and during Ramadan have involved trucks, partly due to overworked drivers and a lack of vehicle maintenance, it was reported.
Driver fatigue and poor vehicle maintenance appear to be the leading causes of accidents involving trucks, according to a senior police official.
“Truck drivers are still being overworked and companies continue to neglect their vehicles’ maintenance. We have been having the same issue for the past five years and we have been speaking to companies to no avail,” said Colonel Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Director of Dubai Traffic Police, quoted by Gulf News.
In the event of an accident involving a truck, the driver is generally held entirely responsible, even if it isn’t 100% his fault, Al Mazroui noted. “One driver told us his boss threatened to fire him if he did not drive the vehicle, which was in a bad condition, and do his job.”
“Drivers are also forced to work long hours and do not get enough sleep, which only adds to the problem.”
Dubai Police is looking at working with other government entities like the Roads and Transport Authority, the Ministry of Labour and the Department of Economic Development to address the issue and hold company owners responsible, he added.
Apart from overworked drivers, poorly maintained vehicles are also a problem on Dubai’s roads, it was reported.
“We have had truck drivers come to us and show us the bad condition of their trucks because their bosses do not give them money to maintain the vehicles. In these cases, we summon the vehicle or company owner and make them sign an undertaking that they will fix the vehicles,” the colonel said.
The most common issues found by the police are problems with brakes and worn tyres, arising from a lack of maintenance.