Reckless driving and lack of attention while driving are two of the primary reasons for fatal road accidents across the UAE. Motorists who don’t obey the traffic rules make life difficult for everyone on the road. Although a significant decrease in road accidents and fatalities resulting from road accidents has been observed during 2017, the major traffic problems induced by careless behavior of motorists still exist. From 1st of July 2017, the newly amended traffic rules have been implemented after which, motorists have to remain extra watchful of their driving habits as some new traffic violations have been introduced and penalties for some existing violations have been increased.
In reference to the newly amended traffic rules, the UAE Government and traffic authorities have compiled a set of safe driving tips that can actually benefit the motorists in avoiding harsh penalties and dangerous road situations in the UAE.
Here are the 6 tips that every motorist should keep in mind for a safe driving experience on the UAE roads.
Also read: New Traffic Rule Amendments in the UAE – Everything You Need to Know
Wear Your Seat Belts
It is the driver’s responsibility to make sure that everyone is strapped inside the car. The new traffic rules also make it compulsory for motorists to install child safety seats inside the car and the violation of this rule will be strictly dealt with. Fastening the seats belts only takes a few seconds and these few seconds can make all the difference in the event of a fatal road accident.
Not wearing seat belts is one of the leading causes of road accident related deaths. The new traffic rules in the UAE emphasize the use of seatbelts even more and motorists not complying with these rules will be penalized heavily. Motorists across the UAE have been addressed about the changes made to the traffic rules through multiple awareness campaigns. One of these campaigns involved a Traffic Police Officer in RAK wearing a seatbelt himself while directing traffic on the roads. The unique approach adopted by the RAK Police Officer gave a friendly warning to motorists who were not wearing seatbelts and urged them to buckle up.
Keep Maximum Attention on the Road
Regardless of the driving conditions, it is necessary for the driver to keep maximum attention on the road. Driving under the influence of drugs, drunk driving, eating inside the car or using the mobile phone while driving are the factors that can divide driver’s attention on the road and cause road accidents with serious consequences. It is important for motorists to be completely attentive on the road as this is the only way to avoid dangerous road situations. Foreseeing a potentially hazardous situation is only possible if the driver has his undivided attention on the road, any lapse in attention could spell disaster very quickly.
Avoid Driving If You Are Tired or Sleepy
Motorists must manage their sleep-time properly as poor sleeping habits can induce drowsiness and fatigue while driving, which can be dangerous on the busy roads of the UAE. It is advised by traffic authorities to avoid driving when sleepy or tired in order to avoid dangerous road situations induced by drowsiness. Being tired or drowsy makes it difficult to judge a potentially hazardous situation on the road as both of these increase a driver’s reaction time.
Motorists should look to use public transport or hire a taxi to reach their destination in such a scenario and completely avoid driving to remain safe.
The chances of being drowsy are maximum when driving on the highways due to monotonous nature of the journey and this is when motorists should always be careful. Motorists must rest properly before leaving for a long journey as it is a basic road safety principle.
Look for Cars with Better Safety Features
When you are looking to buy a new car, it is advisable to look for a car that has better safety features in your set budget. Although safety features are not a substitute for a driver’s attention on the road, they do help the driver to maintain attention on the road and remain active to avoid a possible accident or collision.
Cars that have better safety features not only protect the motorists from serious injuries in event of an accident, but also help in avoiding a fatal collision through advanced automated technologies. Car safety features such as Forward Collision Control, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Keep Assist, Automatic Emergency Braking and Cruise Control are some of the essential safety features, which people in the UAE should consider while buying their next car. Even if you are buying a used vehicle, purchasing a car with airbags is a must to ensure the basic safety of all occupants of the car. Additionally, understanding the use of these safety features is also important in order to avoid a dangerous road situation effectively.
Comply with Airbags Guidance
In order to make sure that the airbags will be most effective in case of an accident, it is imperative for the driver and the passengers to follow proper airbags guidance. This is very important because when airbags deploy, all occupants of the car must be in the right position so that they don’t get hurt. The “Car Owner’s Manual” must be used to seek guidance about the deployment of airbags and to learn what position should the passengers be in when a collision occurs and airbags deploy.
Complying with the airbags guidance becomes critical, especially when you are driving with small children and infants. In such a case, it is important to ensure that they are buckled up properly in their safety seats.
Also read: Understanding the Importance of Airbags as an Essential Safety Feature in Cars
Keep Your Cars Cool
Since the temperature in the UAE remains high in the long summer season, it is very important to keep the cars cool so that a sudden car breakdown induced by extra heat can be avoided. Other than that, if measures are not adopted to avoid penetration of heat inside the cabin, it can actually make driving troublesome and tiring. Motorists must keep their car’s windows completely closed and keep a check on the maintenance of the air conditioning system in order to better deal with the hot summer season in the UAE.
If you have a dark colored car, it is always advised to park in a shaded area (whenever possible) so that when you come back to drive the car, it is relatively cool.
Bottom-line
As new Federal Traffic rules have been implemented from the 1st of July 2017, it is important for everyone to obey the new traffic laws and follow these essential road safety tips to avoid dangerous road situations and harsh penalties for committing violations. With new fines and traffic violations introduced in the amended traffic rules, motorists must remain extra careful while driving and make their best effort to maintain maximum attention on the road while driving.
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