Early education key to making roads safer
ROAD SAFETY EXPERTS SUGGEST TEACHING COURSES ON TRAFFIC RULES AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
More than 80% of drivers in the UAE don’t use indicators when required, a survey has revealed |
M ore than 80 per cent of drivers in the UAE don’t use indicators when required, a survey has revealed.
The survey, one of several conducted by Road Safety UAE, also listed speeding, tailgating, lane swerving and lane jumping among the dangers on UAE roads.
Authorities have made efforts to make roads safer by imposing stringent penalties on offenders and enhancing driver training and road management, but there is some way to go still in instilling desired road discipline, experts said.
“The fundamental issue we are facing is lack of road etiquette. We see that people lack basic courtesy towards others. That is why we at Road Safety UAE initiated the surveys to understand what was happening,” Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of Road Safety UAE, said.
Highlighting the findings of the surveys, he said that distracted driving is a key contributor to lane swerving, which is the leading reason for fatal traffic accidents.
Another major danger is drivers not using indicators, Edelmann said. “We found that many people don’t use indicators because they don’t think it’s necessary, or it’s not part of the [driving] culture they come from. We also found that a large number of people don’t use the indicators because they think it’s a sign of weakness,” he said.
Another top killer is speeding, also a trigger for other types of misbehaviour.
“The survey revealed that a large percentage of people speed because they are running late. This one factor — running late — leads to several violations on the road like tailgating, jumping the red light, jumping the lane etc. Just starting every trip 10 minutes early will reduce so many Edelmann said.
Rana Raddawi, head of the Department of English at American University of Sharjah, and an expert in emotional intelligence, believes that one way to develop a strong driving culture is to integrate road safety into the school curriculum.
“Three components have to come together to ensure safer roads in the UAE: Education, urban planning and law enforcement. We have good urban planning and infrastructure here, but where we lag is in education violations,” and law enforcement. We need to integrate road safety in the school curriculum,” Raddawi said.
She said that driving schools are doing their best, but it’s not enough. Raddawi added that courses should be designed for elementary school, junior, high school and university so that when it is time for a person to take driving classes, he/she is ready with the basic knowledge.
Both Edelmanm and Raddawi stressed on the importance of stricter law enforcement.
“Authorities should find a way to enforce the law smartly, rather than just issuing fines, which many people just pay and continue to commit the same violations. People should be made to realise their mistakes,” Edelmann said.
Giving an example, he said: “One of the issues we face here is a motorist jumping lanes. If a policeman happens to see him, he will definitely issue a fine. But a fine is not enough; the motorist has to be asked to pull over and made to realise his mistake. In the UK, the driver is pulled over and made to wait for a certain time, just to send home the message.”
Certain violations, Edelmann said, should lead to suspension of the driving licence or the confiscation of the vehicle.
Raddawi agreed: “If there is a serious traffic violation, the driver should be sent for a quick brush-up course. If there is a repeat offence, the driver’s licence should be withheld.”