Dubai - July 21, 2007: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) started the intermittent green lights on major intersections in some areas of Dubai city as a first stage to mainstream the experience on key intersections and the main pivots in the Emirate.
Engineer Maithaa Bin Aday Executive CEO of Traffic and Roads Agency confirmed that the RTA had experienced intermittent green signal lights on intersections and streets of Al Jumeira and Sufouh at the current stage, and they will be gradually set up at all intersections and the main pivots in the city.
She pointed out that the objective of the application of this system is to reduce the violation of the red signal, enabling drivers to estimate the time remaining from the time of the signal in order to ensure that the crossing cars can safely clear the intersection, especially since most traffic accidents occurring at intersections due to overcoming the red signal, and the driver usually faces a problem to take the appropriate decision to continue or stop traffic, which is often at critical locations.
She explained that the mechanism of the green signal according to the new system will be the signal transmission from long-staying green to intermittent green then yellow and red, and that at the end of the time limit for green signal it gives three flashes as a warning sign that the period specified for the driver is over where the driver is able to properly assess the situation, so he either can continue if he has entered the critical region or stop if the continuation will cause danger to him and to other road users.
She indicated that on the intersections (yellow and red) is a result of traffic equations through which the safety is taken into account at intersections as a key element, and these equations depend on the size of the intersection and the number of tracks on the roads leading to the intersection, the speed limits on these roads, and the location of the intersection in different regions also contributes to these make equations. When there are many intersections in the industrial areas where plenty of trucks, the movement of these trucks are taken into account on programming the safety time at the intersection.
She said that the intermittent green signal system is used widely in many countries of the world known for their sophisticated traffic order. Applying this system in Dubai comes in the framework of the ongoing efforts the RTA exerts to secure the traffic safety within a strategy aims at reducing the rate of traffic accidents that occur due to jumping the red signal, which often results in death and serious injury, damaging the public properties.
Engineer Maithaa called on the drivers and all road users to comply with the laws and regulations, their cooperation with the RTA to make this new system a success is considered an additional advantage for the increased traffic safety at intersections, and its application orchestrating with an integrated traffic system the RTA seeks to carry out stemming from its vision of achieving 'Safe and Smooth Transport for all.'
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© Press Release 2007
