The Final Countdown: 5 days left for Dubai’s new speed limit

Gulf News -- From October 15, a new speed limit will be observed on Dubai’s two main highways, requiring motorists to slow down a notch – or face stiff traffic fines.

Dubai Police have started installing new signboards on Emirates Road and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed (MBZ) Road, and are reminding motorists that the speed limit will be dropped from 120 km/h to 110 km/h.

Motorists who wish to avoid getting a speeding ticket must remembering this: a fine will be slapped when you exceed the 130 km/h grace window for the speed limit. 

In September, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police announced the decision to reduce the speed limit on busy highways following a spate of accidents over the last two years.

“Lowering the speed limits on the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed and Emirates roads is a result of elaborate traffic safety studies and analyses of traffic accident data along with their causes over the past years.

"It resulted in addressing several traffic safety requirements such as pedestrian bridges, safety rails, and truck lay-by areas,” said Maitha Mohammad Bin Adai, chief executive officer of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency.

Statistics provided by Dubai Police have also shown that both highways claimed 39 lives each from the beginning of 2016, forcing authorities to revise the speed limits as at least 60 per cent of the accidents are associated with speeding.