Brigadier Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Mu'alla, Commander-in-Chief of Umm Al Qaiwain Police, received Robyn Robertson, President & CEO of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, TIRF, and Ward Vanlaar, Chief Operating Officer, accompanied by Aladdin Sobhi, Deputy CEO of the National Traffic Safety Institute.

The mission of the TIRF is to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries.

The parties discussed methods of preventing road accidents and mitigating their social and economic impact, whereas Brigadier Al Mu'alla stressed the need for co-operation among stakeholders to protect road users.

Robertson said research projects undertaken by the TIRF confirm that human error or condition is the cause of road crashes. She further added that TIRF recommendations on driver's behaviour focusses on the development of programmes for training and qualifying drivers to gain the knowledge and skills needed to drive safely.

Brigadier Al Mu'alla and Robertson affirmed their willingness to co-operate in areas of training and transfer of knowledge to drivers and students in order to prevent accidents.

According to Canada-based TIRF an independent, charitable road safety research institute more than 90 percent of road crashes are a result of human error or condition, which means they are entirely preventable. The focus of their research is to improve understanding of what motivates people to take risks and engage in unsafe behaviours on the road, and how to change this behaviour to better protect all road users.

Research also examines a range of behavioural interventions including risk assessment, remedial programmes, education campaigns, photo enforcement and alcohol interlocks.