A recent news story about tourists to the UAE dying in a desert safari car crash as well as a report about younger drivers being more prone to accidents, have focused attention on road safety in the UAE. We look at the sobering details about these incidents and examine how UAE roads can be made safer for all concerned.
Rohinibahen and Vinodbhai Patel were visiting relatives in UAE for a family reunion when they along with five others decided to take a desert safari. The speeding vehicle somersaulted several times when the driver lost control. Two people died and five others including two children were injured in the accident.
The US Journal of Adolescent Health published a report about teenage driving habits. The study reported startling statistics: teenaged drivers are as much as eight times more likely to be involved in driving accidents.
The report cited reasons why teens were more at risk: it wasn’t that they lacked driving skills but that they lacked the judgement that would guide them to make the right choices while driving. They are more likely to behave in a risky manner by accelerating suddenly, turning corners sharp and fast, hard braking etc.
Though these problems are seen in other countries as well, the statistics relating to the UAE are startling: 46% of accidents in Abu Dhabi were caused by drivers in the 18 to 30 age bracket. Of the 4.6 million traffic violations registered in 2017, this age group was responsible for almost half.
According to the founder and managing director of Road Safety UAE Thomas Edelman, a UAE road safety survey revealed reasons why the problem is particularly acute in the UAE. The lived road culture of each place causes younger drivers to adopt certain driving habits to ‘blend in’, which makes risky driving all the more prevalent among young people in the UAE. Younger drivers tend to drive fast and rash in order to show off and impress others with their daredevilry. Getting behind the wheel can make young people feel powerful and invulnerable. They are also the most likely to be distracted by electronic devices while driving, revealed the report.
Experts have noted that older UAE drivers tend to be safer. They learn caution and improve their judgement; reducing risky driving behaviours. According to experts, it is experience that is most effective in teaching drivers safe driving. While learning to drive takes just a short while, safe driving judgement is much more complex and takes time.
Parents must repose faith in their kids and permit them to drive and gain experience, but must also keep some pointers: In order to avoid kids getting into accidents, parents should start rearing safe drivers from childhood; explaining the basics of safe driving before kids are even big enough to look over the steering wheel. Parents can choose to buy the safest, more up to date cars. When the child is older, parents must impress upon them the importance of safe and responsible driving, resisting peer pressure and electronic distractions while driving.
Do you have something interesting you would like to share? Write to us at [email protected]
