The Royal Oman Police reported on Saturday that four citizens of the United Arab Emirates were killed in a car accident.
Two adult Emiratis and two children were among the fatalities, according to Khaleej Times. The crash involved two vehicles in Oman's Al Zmain area, in the Al Wusta governorate. In addition to the four dead, two other Emiratis were severely injured.
“A collision accident between two cars in Al Zamamim area in Al Wusta governarate has resulted in the death of four people, of which two were children, and the serious injury of two others from the United Arab Emirates," the Omani police said in an official statement, the Times of Oman reported.
Despite the tragedy, road deaths in Oman have dropped by more than 50 percent since 2012, local media reported in January. Brigadier Eng. Mohammed bin Awadh Al Rawas, Oman's top traffic cop, said in a statement that fatalities have decreased by 52 percent and injuries have declined by 33 percent.
"We appreciate the efforts made by different media and social media influencers in spreading awareness messages of traffic safety," Al Rawas said. He explained that overall, "the number of traffic accidents has decreased by 67 percent, compared to the end of 2012."
In the UAE, 525 road deaths were reported last year as of December 23, The National reported. Police said that 230 of the fatalities occurred as the result of speeding.
"Most road fatalities and major accidents are a result of speeding, which counts for 40 per cent of the total number of traffic accidents," Major Gen Mohammed Al Zafeen, head of the Federal National Council and assistant commander-in-chief of the Dubai Police, said in December.
"Speeding by itself may not be the only reason behind accidents, but it will cause major accidents when it’s accompanied with other reasons, such as failure to maintain a safe distance and tyre blowouts," he said.
Al Zafeen announced a major three-month anti-speeding campaign to address the problem in the country. He also said police officers had been working diligently to address the issue, cracking down on reckless drivers.
Last year, officers in the UAE issued 5,395 fines to drivers surpassing the speed limit by more than 80 kph, 56,633 fines for passing the limit by more than 70 kph, and 100,296 fines for speeding more than 60 kph over the limit, Al Zafeen revealed.
The reality that more than 5,000 fines were issued for exceeding the speed limit by 80 kph “indicates that there is a huge problem that needs to be tackled,” he said.
The cause of Saturday's accident in Oman is unknown however, and it's unclear whether either vehicle was speeding.