To ensure safety, it is crucial to emphasise the need for regular training, stricter enforcement of laws, and deployment of technology-driven safety systems.
These were some of the issues highlighted during a road safety event for commercial vehicles, which was organised by Dubai Police, MAN Truck & Bus Middle East, and RoadSafetyUAE.
The event, which took place at Dubai Police Officers Club on 12 November, 2017, showcased the latest road safety systems and initiatives for heavy vehicles.
Attendees included government officials and stakeholders from the UAE’s truck and bus segment, including fleet operators.
READ: Big 5 2015: MAN Truck celebrates 100th anniversary
Delegates discussed a range of police initiatives designed to meet safety targets set out in Dubai Vision 2021. The extent to which safety measures can serve to reduce costs for fleet operators in the long term was also debated.
Franz Freiherr von Redwitz, managing director of MAN Truck & Bus Middle East, said that his company is collaborating with Dubai Police to meet road safety goals.
“We strive to do this by suggesting policies that could regulate issues like overloading, and also by introducing new technological features in our trucks and buses,” he explained. “One of the biggest problems on UAE roads is the use of very old trucks and faulty truck-trailer combinations. It is crucial that trucks and their trailers have the same safety features.
“We also hold regular training programmes for heavy-vehicle drivers to educate them about our [models]. Hence, the event showcases the superior technology we offer, and also the services around it. [It] is not only the vehicle, but both the vehicle and the driver that make roads safe,” von Redwitz continued.
During the forum, Dubai Police revealed that it is considering the introduction of new regulations for the emirate’s commercial vehicle operators. If implemented, the legislation would result reduced working hours for drivers of heavy vehicles.
Dubai Police’s Captain Salem Mesfer Rashid Alamimi said: “The event focussed on improving and spreading knowledge on road safety measures. The more knowledge you have, the better driver you become.”
Fabien Taillardat, business segment manager at Michelin, used the event as a platform to introduce a digital system that enables fleet operators or heavy-vehicle drivers to assess capability and durability by conducting measured tyre checks.
The event concluded with representatives from MAN Truck & Bus demonstrating the manufacturer’s latest safety features.
