Drivers have been advised to check weather conditions before beginning their journey. The Dubai Police recorded 107 traffic accidents during foggy weather conditions in the space of five hours on Sunday morning. The police received 1,062 SOS calls from 4am to 9am.
Major Khazraj Majid Al Khazraji, director of command and control room, said the country usually witnesses a large number of traffic during this time of the year due to the weather causing low visibility and driver failing to adapt to changing weather.
He urged motorists to abide by traffic laws and to take preventive measures and bringing attention to road users, while driving during changing weather conditions and specially during fog.
He called on all drivers to abide by instructions and advise told by concerned authorities in UAE in order to make road safer. He said that accidents taking place during fog and raid as so dangerous due to low vision and also will be fatal if drivers are driving recklessly.
He said that drivers must check the weather condition before moving and also to go early before the working hours so that they can drive and reach work safely
Al khazraji said said that in such conditions, all drivers should ensure their windshields and lights were clear and that their signals were working before they started driving. He added that they should leave enough distance between vehicles, should reduce speed and change lanes only when necessary. He said that the Dubai Police are patrolling roads to prevent congestions, organise traffic and intervene in case of an emergency.
He urged all drivers to use windscreen wipers, remove condensation from the windshields, and remain cautious of other drivers when on the road in poor weather.
Several flights delayed, cancelled
It wasn’t just road traffic that was affected – the heavy fog delayed dozens of inbound and outbound flights on Monday.
“Heavy fog is disrupting operations this morning at DXB resulting in delays of up to one hour on arriving and departing flights,” Dubai Airports tweeted on their official account. “We are working with our partners to minimise passenger inconvenience.”
Among the affected flights included those headed to Qat-ar, Iran, South Africa, China, and the UK. One flight, to Guanzhou, China, was scheduled to depart at 2:57 am but was delayed by more than 12 hours, to 6 pm.
Several flights, including one to Bahrain and one to Dusseldorf, Germany, were cancelled.
In Sharjah, some flights were delayed by as much as four hours. Some passengers took to Twitter to voice their frustration at the disruptions.
“From Adelaide, with the joys of a diversion to Muscat, as Dubai Airport was closed for hours due to the fog,” tweeted an Australian traveller.
The UAE’S National Centre of Seismology and Meteorology (NCMS) predicts that similar foggy conditions will continue on Tuesday, particularly in the Western region, and in some coastal and internal areas in the morning.What to do in heavy fog?
> Check the weather conditions before leaving home
> Leave early before your working hours, so you have enough time to drive and reach safely
> Ensure your windshields and lights are clear and working, before you start out
> Leave enough distance between vehicles on the road
> Reduce speed and change lanes only when necessary
MAIN TIP: Use windscreen wipers, remove condensation regularly. Keep wipe cloths inside the car as well.