DUBAI, October 28 (IslamOnline.net) – Minutes before iftar time, the United Arab Emirates traffic police head for certain cross-roads known for their traffic jams, to distribute iftar meals to drivers in a bid to avoid high speed during that time to catch iftar time at home.

During the holy fasting month of Ramadan, such a procedure helps reduce the number of accidents caused by speed to catch iftar time at home in the Arab Gulf country.

“Police officers distribute iftar meals to fasting drivers at the usually jammed crossroads,” Nasser Al-Zeidi, rescue police chief, was quoted by the Emirate news agency.

“Police patrols tour the crossroads moments before Maghreb call to prayer to undertake such a humanitarian mission; giving iftar meals to the car drivers.”

Al-Zeidi, however, urged car drivers not to exceed the speed limits, in an attempt to decrease the high number of road accidents.

The UAE authorities spare no effort in trying to persuade drivers to avoid high speed, pushing it sometimes to the limit of rewarding those who drive safely and slowly, according to IOL correspondent.

Also, and in an innovative bid to reduce the high rate of road accidents in the country, the UAE University and the IBM Middle East have developed a new device to reduce high death rates caused by road accidents.

The new device, known as the “Smart Box”, is the prototype of the world’s first car safety device that alerts the driver via sound technology every time the vehicle passes the speed limit of a particular area.

The Smart Box device can also be integrated with the local traffic department to issue speeding tickets after several sound warnings.

According to statistics of the Emirate planning ministry, the number of road accidents in the country has hit 8,650 in 2003 compared to 11,950 in 2001.

Road accidents as a cause of death comes in the ninth place in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, according to Qatari daily Al-Watan.