The chief operating officer of Autograde has praised the UAE’s move towards the mandatory installation of speed limiters on commercial vehicles.
Since 2013, speed limiters have been compulsory in the UAE for private buses with capacities of up to 22 passengers.
In a comment article written for PMV Middle East, Autograde COO Nabil Al Yafie outlines the ways in which this legislation, introduced by the Ministry of Interior, is helping to save motorists’ lives across the Emirates.
In his column, Al Yafie writes: “[The] UAE’s move towards the installation of speed limiters on commercial vehicles has been a great success overall. The number of speeding incidents involving mini and passenger buses has fallen dramatically. This is hardly surprising when one considers the fact that excessive speed is a major contributing factor in so many road accidents.”
In light of this success, Al Yafie argues that authorities should consider rolling out the mandatory installation of speed-control devices to the cargo vehicle sector.
“Another category deserving of attention is the 1.5-tonne commercial vehicle class,” he told PMV.
“I believe that the mandatory installation of speed limiters on such vehicles would significantly improve road safety in the UAE. Accidents often happen when the drivers of cargo vehicles rush from one location to another in order to make the maximum number of deliveries possible. This can lead to rash and hazardous driving practices,” Al Yafie added.
Autograde offers a range of road safety and fleet management products for the UAE automotive market. Whilst Al Yafie believes that technology will continue to improve driving conditions in the Emirates, he argues that a shift in the mindset of local motorists would also facilitate progress.
“I believe that vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) technology, which can control factors such as car flow and vehicle arrival timing, represents the next step along the way to improved road safety,” he said.
“For now, however, there is a lack of awareness concerning the benefits offered by speed limiters. In my opinion, there should be a greater regional emphasis on safety itself, rather than on simply following the rules,” Al Yafie concluded.
To read the Autograde COO’s comment piece in its entirety, check out next month’s issue of PMV Middle East.
