Fatigue Causes Truck Collision in Dubai, Driver Injured
A truck driver was injured after falling asleep at the wheel and crashing into another truck on Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road near Al Maktoum Airport. The accident caused major traffic delays and forced authorities to redirect vehicles to alternative routes.
Dubai Police said initial investigations showed the driver lost control of his truck after dozing off while driving toward Abu Dhabi. His vehicle slammed into the truck ahead of him, injuring the driver and creating heavy traffic congestion on one of Dubai's busiest highways.
The crash highlights a growing concern for road safety authorities across the UAE. Drowsy driving has become a leading cause of serious accidents in the region, where long commutes and demanding work schedules often leave drivers exhausted behind the wheel.
Colonel Jumaa Salem bin Suwaidan, director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department, warned that seemingly minor mistakes can lead to deadly consequences. "Falling asleep while driving is one of the main causes of traffic accidents that result in deaths and serious injuries," he said. "Simple errors can turn fatal very quickly."
Traffic accident experts rushed to the scene to conduct investigations and gather evidence to determine the exact cause of the crash. Traffic patrols worked to organize vehicle flow and secure the accident site while ambulances and rescue teams provided medical assistance.
Work crews moved quickly to remove the damaged vehicles from the road and restore normal traffic flow. The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of driving while fatigued, especially on major highways where high speeds can turn minor lapses in attention into serious accidents.
For Dubai's transportation network, accidents like this one underscore the need for better driver education about fatigue management. The emirate handles massive daily traffic volumes as workers commute between cities, making road safety a critical economic and public health issue.
Sara Khaled