Traffic in the United Arab Emirates announces updates regarding the speed limit in Sharjah for cars and drivers 2023
The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) has taken a significant step towards the goal of making roads safer by installing electronic speed limit signs at some of the most significant locations in the city. In an effort to make the roads a safer place for everyone, intelligent signs have been installed in locations such as school zones, residential neighbourhoods, and public crossings.
A video posted by the authority shows that the dynamic signs are run by a smart system that can tell how fast a car is going. The speed limit is written at the top of the signs. It measures the speed of cars and trucks as they drive by in real time. If the car is going the right speed, the sign will show the real speed in green, along with a happy image. If not, the speed is shown in red with a sad emoji to tell the driver to slow down.
The new signs are meant to get drivers to stay within the speed limits, which will make crashes much less likely in the places they are meant for.
In the UAE, the speed limit in school zones ranges from 30 to 40kmph, and drivers can get fined anywhere from Dh300 to Dh3,000 based on how fast they go over the limit. In neighbourhoods, the speed limit can be anywhere from 25 to 40kmph.
Emoji speed signs are not generic
In 2017, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority put up smart signs in school zones that were similar to these. Officials said, "Exceeding the speed limit, even by a small amount, may cause run-over accidents and injuries among students." These were for 40kmph school zone roads.
The authority said that scientific tests showed that these kinds of signs made people drive more safely because they showed individual cars' speeds instead of just the speed limit.
Ben Lebig, a Filipino who lives in Silicon Oasis, said that there are speed signs with emojis where he lives. "I think it's a great way to let people know they're going too fast. My area has a lot of people living in it, and many kids, including my daughter, walk to karate class while cars drive by on the main road. So, it's a good way to get people to move more slowly.
"Even when we go to the grocery store close by, my wife tells me that the speed sign needs to be happy. When cars see the green face with the smile, it affects how they feel. We don't always look at the speedometer when we speed up, but as soon as you see the angry or laughing emoji, you're almost always on guard. It would be great if other Emirates adopted this idea, because emotional cues do make a difference," Lebig said.
Arijit Nandi, who lives in Dubai and takes his son to school every morning, thinks that normal speed limit signs are very boring.
"A smart sign gets everyone's attention, including mine, and tells me to look at my speedometer. Also, I think it would be embarrassing to show my mistake to other people on the road. Imagine if the person next to me in the car saw that emoji and thought badly of me. My secret act is now known to everyone, and I have to say that makes me behave better," Nandi said.
