The colourful new scheme aims to prevent speeding and reduce traffic accidents.

Some Dubai streets have undergone a bold makeover as part of a plan to improve road safety.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has started painting parts of certain roads red, in a bid to make newly implemented speed limits more obvious.

Oud Metha Street near Bu Kadrah Interchange along the extension of Dubai-Al Ain Street, where the speed limit was recently reduced from 100kmh to 80kmh, received a fresh slick of paint, with more paint jobs planned for other roads around the city.

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“The process involved colouring all lanes in an eye-catching style to alert road users of the new speed limit,” said Maitha bin Adai, CEO of the RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency.

“Asphalt colouring will also be used in phases at locations subject to speed changes on other vital roads in Dubai. Therefore, we expect motorists to get used to this for their own safety and avoid offences and accidents resulting from speeding.”

The next roads to be coloured would be Sheikh Zayed Road near the fifth interchange, and the Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road near Lehbab, where the speed limit for both roads has been reduced from 120kmh to 100kmh.

Bin Adai said the stretch of red paint gives motorists enough of a warning that they are able to gradually reduce their speed without having to suddenly apply their brakes.

“We anticipate that this course of action will contribute to lowering the number of future accidents,” she said.

According to RTA statistics, traffic fatalities decreased from 332 in 2006 to 166 in 2015.

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