According to Brigadier Khamis Ishaq Mohammed, Deputy Director of the Traffic and Patrols Directorate at Abu Dhabi Police, roads accidents caused by tires bursts have decreased by 49 per cent over the past five years (2010-2014) in Abu Dhabi. Deaths and serious injuries caused by tire bursts for the same period decreased by 58 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.
Brigadier Mohammed also noted a 7 per cent decrease in the number of accidents due to tire burst over the past ten months of the year, compared with the same period last year. “This improvement is due to the positive outcomes achieved in traffic safety levels in the Emirate over the period,” he indicated.
The Deputy Director of the Traffic and Patrols Directorate at Abu Dhabi Police highlighted the unrelenting efforts exerted to reduce the widespread use of worn-out and unfit tires by tightening traffic control on all roads. “AS a part of the safety campaigns, a total of 93,488 vehicles were fined over the past three years for unfit tires,” he said.
Brigadier Mohammed warned motorists that driving with expired or faulty tires is a traffic offense punishable by an impoundment of the vehicle up to one-week and a Dh200 fine, as per the Federal Law No. 21 of 1995, citing faulty tires like ticking time bombs.
He also noted that the Traffic and Patrols Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police recently held a coordination meeting with strategic partners in order to discuss the dangers of using counterfeit or expired tires and their resulting accidents. The strategic partners included tire companies representatives; the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport; the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC); and the Department of Economic Development.
Furthermore, Brigadier Mohammed emphasized the importance of coordinating efforts with other entities, so as to establish an efficient methodology that includes relevant authorities to monitor and ensure tire compliance with the appropriate technical specifications; and to set forth recommendations and regulations to ensure tire safety.
He also highlighted the necessary information that drivers should be aware of before purchasing tires. He said” “Drivers should be aware of the following: the manufacturing date and date of expiry after installation; the importance of changing an expired tire; and the proper ways to store tires. Drivers should also be aware of how to inspect tires prior to buying, and to ensure that they have not been affected by heat or humidity – as this increases the dangers of a tire burst and subsequently leads to accidents.
Brigadier Ishaq Khamis advised motorists not to buy tires two years after their manufacturing date, stressing the need to read the manufacturing date, which is engraved in the tire, to make sure they have not been in storage for a long period of time. “The buyer must search for the four-digit DOT code branded on the rim of the tire, which indicates the date of manufacture. For example, the four digits 4202 branded on the tire’s rim mean that the tire was manufactured on the 42nd week of 2002; with the 2 digits being used to identify the week immediately preceding the 2 digits used to identify the year,” he said.
On the same note, Brigadier Mohammed highlighted the main causes behind tire bursts, which include low or high air pressure; overloading; long distance and high speed driving; old worn-out or counterfeit tires; defective tires, poor workmanship; poor storage, and remanufacturing of used tires.
Furthermore, he underlined that awareness efforts exerted by the Directorate will continue through ongoing campaigns on tire safety for drivers in general. “These campaigns aim to promote traffic culture in Abu Dhabi on the importance of using good tires, and educating the motorists about the available information imprinted on the tires,” he pointed out. He also added that the number of lectures and traffic education posts in the past two years amounted to 41 lectures and traffic education posts that benefited approximately 12,235 people.
In conclusion, Brigadier Mohammed reiterated the dangers of using counterfeit or expired tires that do not meet the certified standards in vehicles. He also urged motorists to regularly check their vehicles’ fitted tires as well as the reserve (spare) tire for any faults or damages before hitting the road. It also called upon them to check the air pressure and integrity of all their vehicle’s tires, including the spare tire to avoid any accidents.
He also called upon motorists to regularly check their vehicles’ tires and to immediately change them in case they notice any signs of wear; notably the depth of the tire tread, visible signs of wear or damage, such as deep cracks, exposed cables, cuts, bulges or uneven wear of the tires and strong vibrations through the steering wheel.
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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.
Contacts
The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department
Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media
Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-666-4891
E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com
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