UAE: 120kph Minimum Speed Limit Plan Designed To Promote Road Safety
With drivers allowed to travel at up to 160kph on certain roads in the UAE, the country has some of the highest maximum speed limits in the world. Now, the Emirates also has what is thought to be one of the highest minimum speed limits, with a 120kph minimum being introduced on the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Road this month. On this road, the maximum speed is 140kph.
Abu Dhabi Police have announced that the limit will be brought in on the first and second lanes from the left, with anyone travelling too slowly liable for a Dh400 ($108) fine from May 1. Officials have said the minimum speed limit is designed to promote safety and should ensure that slower vehicles move to the right to keep out of the way of faster drivers.
The move has been largely backed by motorists in the UAE. An online poll by Abu Dhabi Police found 78 per cent of more than 3,400 respondents were in favour of the change.
Worldwide, relatively few countries impose minimum speed limits. A 2020 report by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), Review of Setting Minimum Speed on Expressway, highlights only Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Portugal, the UK and the US as having minimums.
The report cites studies showing that slow-moving vehicles can pose a hazard to faster-moving traffic on motorways. Also, it says that differences in speed below the average speed have been found to cause a greater hazard than differences in speed above the average.
Common driving habits may mean that it is a good idea for the UAE to be added to the list of countries with minimum speeds, some analysts indicate.
