ROLE OF ABU DHABI POLICE IN REDUCING SERIOUS OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS Dissertation - 1

ROLE OF ABU DHABI POLICE IN REDUCING SERIOUS OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS TO IMPROVE THE TRAFFIC SAFETY IN EMIRATE OF ABU DHABI - Dissertation Example The study discussed that urban traffic calming schemes are often implemented in residential areas in town as a means of decreasing the environmental and safety issues prompted by road traffic. A hierarchical road system was created and through traffic was eliminated from residential streets via street closures or one-way road systems. Speed-slowing devices were often put up in residential areas. The main roads were managed in order to ensure larger traffic volume without necessarily causing delays or accidents. The meta-analysis indicates how traffic calming techniques generally decrease accidents by about 15%, with the most reduction in accidents observed in the residential areas. A similar decrease in accidents is also seen in main roads. Reductions are also observed in terms of property damage only incidents. General results in evaluation studies are rich in terms of study design and no evidence of publication issues in the evaluation studies was observed. The results also have a significant degree of external validity. In relation to road safety engineering, the management of horizontal curves was also considered in the New Zealand study by Charlton (2007). The study indicates how driver errors related to horizontal curves was caused by three-related issues – failure in driver attention, miscalculation on speed and curves, and improper lane positioning. The study indicated how advance warning signs on their own are not effective in decreasing speeds, as when they are used in combination with chevron sight boards and/or repeater arrows. Among the road marking treatments used, only the rumble strips indicated any major decrease in speed. Herringbones road marking was seen to create major improvements in driver’s lane positions, allowing the flattening of drivers’ pathways within the curves. The combined use of herringbones and chevron with the repeater arrow signs indicated a significant decrease in speed including improvements in lane po sitioning. These results indicate evidence that treatments which support perceptual signs are the most valuable remedies in managing the curve speeds for drivers. A similar study by Afukaar (2010) sought to assess road safety engineering measures, specifically for developing countries. This study indicated how vehicle speed was a factor in vehicle crashes, with Ghana used as an example. The study revealed how main driver errors mostly referred to vehicle speeds. Rumble strips and speed humps proved to be effective measures in Ghana’s roads. The rumble strips indicated on the primary Accra-Kumasi highway decreased the incidents of crashes to about 35% and deaths to 55%. Decreasing speeds may be an effective remedy in decreasing traffic crashes for low income states; however the decreased speed limits are not effective interventions without the traffic law enforcement tools needed to guarantee that limits are observed. Developing states must consider the lack of other speed con trol measures, including rumble strips and speed bumps, as well as lanes which separate slow and high-speed users, and other solutions like speed governors, and improved awareness of the issue Abu Dhabi road safety practices In general, there are few studies which have specifically covered the road safety practices in Abu Dhabi. Majority of the studies on road safety practice have covered the entire United Arab Emirates. Some of these studies shall be included in this review. Bener and Alwash (2002) discussed how