Holidays are fun, not if you try to make it on the roads

During public and private sector holidays, the accident rate on UAE roads often spike as seen in the past few years.

This Eid Al Fitr, however, was a particularly tragic one as 17 people died in a horrific bus crash that took place on June 6. The Omani driver had crashed the bus into a road height restriction barrier near Al Rashidiya Metro Station.

There was also an accident in Abu Dhabi on the first day of Eid holidays, which took the lives of three Emirati children and a nanny. The speeding vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a lamp post in Al Falah district. The mother sustained critical injuries.

While in Ras Al Khaimah, an Omani expat was ran over by a speeding car. The driver was a 16-year-old who did not have a licence. Khaleej Times had reported that the RAK Police had attended 8,100 calls over the Eid break.

Thomas Edelmann, managing director of Road Safety UAE, told Khaleej Times: “We witness a lot of traffic in holiday periods and this increases the chances of accidents. However, when you break down the reasons for accidents in holiday periods, they are pretty much the same like during normal periods and are linked to inattention, distraction, speeding, driving without licence, not using seatbelts, as well as tailgating, lack of lane discipline and so on. We must always drive carefully and we can never let down our guard, not even in holiday seasons.”

He said that the holiday season is when residents are often in a rush to reach to gatherings and events on time. However, they should “plan properly” in order to avoid any kind of road incidents.

“We know from research, that when we are running late, we try to catch up the lost time on the roads, which is of course the worst place to do so. ‘Running late’ causes UAE motorists to speed (67 per cent claim this is the main reason for speeding), but also other forms of reckless driving like bullying other motorists, tailgating, illegal overtaking and more.

“Holidays are special periods and we need to behave special. We regularly urge UAE motorists to make these special periods the starting point of better road habits. We should

reflect on our behaviour and start to always use our seatbelts, display proper road etiquette, and treat other traffic participants with respect and in the most caring manner.”

During the Eid break last year, the country also saw a spike in the number of road accidents. In Dubai alone, there were a total of 905 traffic accidents that took place during the Eid Al Fitr holidays.

Colonel Turki bin Fares, director of the command and control room of the Dubai Police, said they had received 26,667 phone calls on 901 and 999 during the holidays.

In Ras Al Khaimah, there were 289 traffic accidents while in Sharjah, two deaths due to traffic accidents were reported over the Eid break last year. There were a total of 11 road accidents, nine of which were serious.

In 2017, 10 people were killed and 54 others injured in road accidents across the UAE during the Eid Al Adha holiday. In Dubai alone, there were 728 road accidents reported.

The accidents were caused by drivers who broke the road rules by sudden swerving, speeding, entering roads without ensuring the way was clear and general inattention.

After the accident in Abu Dhabi, where the nanny and children were killed while the unlicensed mother was driving, the police were quick to issue a warning against driving without a licence.

Lt-Col Abdullah Al Suwaidi, deputy director of the Department of External Zones at the Abu Dhabi Police Department of Traffic and Patrols, said: “Apart from being a huge violation, driving a car without a licence is very dangerous and poses threat to both the driver and other road users.

“We urge all motorists to abide by the traffic rules, avoid recklessness and not flout speed limits,” said Al Suwaidi, adding that motorists should also ensure that all passengers in the car, including children, fasten their seatbelts.

“The police will not show any leniency in implementing penalties against offenders who violate the laws, in order to maintain safety of road users.”

Though, it’s not just over the Eid holidays when the country sees an increase in road traffic accidents. Ramadan days, unstable weather conditions, summer time and other public and private sector holidays also see an increase in accidents.

As a driver, I feel very scared now to drive on Dubai roads, considering that there is no road safety if such incidents and negligence by drivers continue to happen. It’s quite a scary phenomenon. An improved traffic system and public safety is the need of the hour.

Sonal Chhibber

Accidents increase over holidays because drivers become impatient to follow traffic regulations. Drivers should be patient and follow rules and speed limits for the sake the lives of themselves and others. Road regulations and governance should be evaluated regularly to ensure road safety. This evaluation will provide insight of current safety measurements and define the gaps.

Fahed Ali

I can imagine when roads are less crowded, people start using it more as a racetrack. I do notice people drive much faster once roads are ‘empty’. Motorists have to realise that they are not the only ones being in a rush. The roads are not yours alone and once you cause an accident it is the life of others you have in your hands, too.

Priscilla MJ van Andel

Rules have been framed to protect lives and to keep the roads safer but some people feel offended that they are made to follow rules. They get thrills out of speeding, lane swerving and tailgating. This attitude needs to go.

Faraz Izhar

Road safety education and awareness should be implemented not only in driving schools, but there should be campaigns in malls, public places and universities. There could be electronic mechanisms used to detect the use of mobile phones while driving and a heavy penalty should be enforced.

Sarwat Jahan

People need to be extra cautious while driving and make sure not to put any sort of screen and shades on the wind screen. It’s better to be late than getting in trouble. Holidays are for relaxation, not for troubles. Patience is the key for safe driving. Drivers should take proper rest if they have not slept during the holiday.

Sara Furqan