The police report that one driver died and five others were injured in a multiple-vehicle crash on the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road in Dubai on Thursday morning.

The accident — reportedly caused by tailgating — involved two trucks and four light vehicles.

The drivers failed to maintain a safe distance from each other, causing a truck to collide with a bus in front of it. Then, it crashed into another truck loaded with cement and bricks, leading to a major congestion on the road, said Major-General Saif Muhair Al Mazrouei, director of the General Traffic Department.

"We deployed our patrols after receiving a report that a major accident between two trucks and four light vehicles occurred on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road after Al Rashidiya Bridge," he added.

Maj-Gen Al Mazrouei noted that tailgating — or failing to keep a safe distance between vehicles — is one of the most common causes of traffic accidents.

"Since the beginning of the year, the department has recorded 538 accidents due to tailgating violations, which caused the death of 10 people and left 367 injured," he said.

According to him, tailgating is punishable by a Dh400 fine and four traffic black points.