A delivery motorcycle rider ran a red light in response to pressure from a customer to deliver an order quickly, and ended up colliding with a roadside pole and sustaining serious injuries. Dubai Police cited the incident as a cautionary example, stressing that failure to keep to lane and stopping in the middle of the road in a manner that obstructs traffic flow and endangers road users are among the leading causes of serious accidents. The force also revealed that its fatality index fell by 19% between 2024 and 2025.
The announcement came during the launch by Dubai Police General Headquarters — represented by the General Directorate of Traffic and the General Directorate of Community Happiness — of the road-safety awareness campaign 'Drive Aware', in strategic partnership with Nissan Middle East and Abdul Wahid Al Rostamani Automobiles, with the aim of promoting traffic safety and reducing dangerous behaviour on the roads.
The campaign, which launched yesterday and runs until 7 September, focuses on raising awareness among drivers and road users about practices that pose a threat to traffic safety. Awareness messages will be disseminated through social media platforms, supporting partners, and external entities, with the goal of reaching more than 4 million beneficiaries through media distribution channels.
The campaign targets all vehicle drivers and road users in the emirate of Dubai. Several general directorates within Dubai Police are participating in its implementation, including the General Directorate of Traffic, the General Directorate of Artificial Intelligence, and the General Directorate of Community Happiness, alongside private-sector partners.
Focus
Brigadier Issam Al Awar, Deputy Director of the General Directorate of Traffic, affirmed that the campaign focuses on the most prominent causes of traffic accidents resulting from dangerous driving behaviours, including failure to maintain a safe following distance, sudden lane deviation, speeding, and using a mobile phone while driving, as well as other distractions that affect a driver's concentration and attention to the road.
He said the campaign is in line with the directions and strategies of the Dubai Government aimed at enhancing road safety and reducing rates of traffic accidents, fatalities, and injuries, through spreading traffic awareness and adopting best preventive practices.
Dubai Police believes that awareness is one of the most important pillars of the traffic safety system, alongside oversight, legislation, and the continuous development of infrastructure in cooperation with partners, as well as advances in smart service technologies related to road safety.
Efficiency
Colonel Talal Abdulaziz Al Mansouri, Director of the Traffic Education Department at the General Directorate of Traffic, revealed that Dubai Police has succeeded in reducing its fatality index by 19% between 2024 and 2025.
He said the number of accidents caused by sudden lane deviation over the past two years reached 1,928, while the number of accidents caused by failure to maintain a sufficient following distance reached 1,529 over the same period, and the number of accidents caused by speeding reached 46.
He stressed that the decline in the fatality index over the past two years was the result of the continuous development of an integrated traffic safety system, enhanced efficiency of traffic operations, the deployment of smart technologies in monitoring, analysis, and response, as well as the intensification of awareness campaigns and field enforcement. This has contributed to raising levels of compliance with traffic rules and reducing the causes of serious accidents, in line with Dubai Police's vision of enhancing road safety and protecting lives and property.
Interactive competition
First Lieutenant Salma Al Merri explained that the campaign includes the launch of an interactive traffic competition on Dubai Police's social media platforms, with the aim of promoting awareness of traffic laws and regulations in an innovative and engaging manner that encourages community members to participate and learn.
She said: