Road Safety
UAE Together safety campaign urges more respect for pedestrians
UAE Together safety campaign urges more respect for pedestrians
Ramona Ruiz
ABU DHABI // Road safety experts have welcomed a call for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to have greater respect on the roads.
The Twitter and Facebook accounts of UAE Together have been inundated with road safety messages using the hashtags #Pedestriansfirst and #ShareTheRoad.
UAE Together is a campaign by Abu Dhabi Police to educate the public about traffic rules and regulations, and the need to look out for each other.
“This is brilliant because it is so true,” said Thomas Edelmann, founder of website Road Safety UAE, of the ShareTheRoad tag.
“The one simple way to get rid of all our traffic woes is to treat others like you want to be treated. We have to drive with each other, not against each other.”
All motorists, he said, must remind themselves that they are also pedestrians the moment they step out of their cars.
Brendan Halleman, deputy project director at International Road Federation in the US, was equally enthusiastic.
“Sharing the road is exactly the right message,” Mr Halleman said. “After all, everyone is a pedestrian at some point in the day.”
Worldwide, more than half of all those killed in crashes are pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists, he said.
Of the 63 traffic-related deaths in Abu Dhabi in the first three months of this year, 33 were caused by vehicle crashes, 22 pedestrians were killed and eight people died after the cars they were travelling in overturned.
Most fatal accidents were caused by drivers not giving priority to pedestrians crossing roads, sudden swerving, speeding in unstable road conditions, burst tyres and tailgating, said traffic police chief Brig Gen Hussain Al Harithi.
The road safety initiative also asks drivers to slow down “as a pedestrian may pop out of nowhere”.
It reminds motorists that they share the road with other users and that “traffic safety is everyone’s responsibility”.
“Simple as this: cars on roads, pedestrians on sidewalks and cyclists on cyclists’ lanes. #Sharetheroad,” read another tweet.
Residents were invited to share their thoughts under the hashtag, and asked to reply “yes” or “no” on Facebook if they felt a lack of respect between road users was the reason behind accidents.
“Motorists are self-centred and even oblivious to pedestrians who use designated zebra crossings,” said Roshanara Sait, director of Ciel Marketing and Events, which organises road safety awareness campaigns across the country.
UAE Together also tweeted hard-hitting messages such as “Road users have equal rights, respect my rights #ShareTheRoad” and “The road belongs to everyone. It’s road safety, not rocket science. #ShareTheRoad”.
Ramesh Menon, an Abu Dhabi resident for 25 years, said pedestrians should also be aware of their surroundings.
“In Abu Dhabi and Dubai, I have seen pedestrians showing little respect for their own safety while crossing the road in a hurry,” Mr Menon said.
Ms Sait proposed sustainable road safety campaigns to raise awareness and highlight the dangers for both pedestrians and the motorists.
“Pedestrians in the UAE are still uneducated as far as their safety is concerned,” Mr Menon said.
rruiz@thenational.ae
To read it in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.
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Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook
Don’t be oblivious – Letters to the editor – Gulf News – 20.04.2014
Don’t be obliviousLast week, I witnessed a horrendous sight during lunch time at a parking spot in Electra Street, Abu Dhabi. From experience, I have always had the belief that drivers on our roads are and always will tend to be careless towards the safety of themselves and other living beings. This was confirmed when I was leaving from an apartment and noticed blood and crushed body parts of some small animals.
A closer look at the area really made me feel sad, as I found three kittens that had been run over and were breathing their last, thanks to a driver who had parked in the location, and then driven off, without any care. There was no one in the vicinity when I approached the kittens and I was having a hard time moving the two living felines out of danger by myself. By the time I brought a small supporting platform to lift one kitten and place it safely on the pavement, another driver came in a rush and ran over the remaining kitten! Convincing him to move his vehicle and taking the injured kitten to a suitable place and caretaker was not an easy task.
I wish our drivers cared a bit more about their surroundings, and paid attention not only to the road but also the obstacles they might come across the whole time they are on the wheel.
World Safety Day is on April 28. Let ‘Safety first’ be our motto – for all living beings.
From Mr Ramesh Menon
Abu Dhabi
Gulf News – 20th April 2014
To read it in original, please visit Gulf News online
“Start Early, Drive Carefully, Reach Safely” Safety First campaign
“Start Early, Drive Carefully, Reach Safely” Safety First campaign through http://www.clicksandwrites.blogspot.com
Special Message @ Gulf News live coverage of IPL T20 2014 from Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
16th April 2014
Keep cyclists out of motorways – The National – 14 April 2014
Keep cyclists out of motorways
I was alarmed to see a group of cyclists on Sheikh Khalifa motorway last week. It was dark and they were not wearing any high-visibility clothing. Seeing them that way and realising the danger, I stopped at a convenient place and waited for them to arrive.
Upon checking, I found out that they were cycling enthusiasts who follow this route regularly. Some of them live in Musaffah.
While the intention is good, I thought it was extremely dangerous. I request the authorities to take stern action so that cyclists don’t jeopardise their lives and those of the motorists.
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
The National – 14 April 2014
Picture of rain explained dangers – The National Dt. 30 March 2014
Picture of rain explained dangers
The front-page photograph by Silvia Razgova in the March 27 issue of The National conveyed several messages.
First of all, the rain was unexpected at this time of the year. Secondly, it was perhaps a record day for the UAE police and emergency teams with hundreds of accidents recorded on Wednesday. No wonder so many taxi drivers decided to pull over rather than risk their lives on the road, as the picture showed.
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
Drivers must obey rules in wet weather – The National Dt. 27-03-2014
Drivers must obey rules in wet weather
There has been bad weather once again and multiple accidents on our roads (Heavy rain causes traffic delays and flooding throughout UAE, March 26).
It looks as if some people are determined to prove that whatever the authorities do to promote road safety, they will never change.
The scenario on the Dubai to Abu Dhabi road is the same every day. Even in wet weather, I see many drivers tailgating, driving above the speed limit and reading messages or texting while at the wheel.
The authorities should encourage road users to promptly alert them using 999 or another emergency contact number if they witness dangerous driving. At the same time, maintenance teams should ensure that they place adequate warning signs when there is roadwork happening.
If there is bad weather or other dangerous driving conditions, police, road transport authorities, radio stations and both du and ¬Etisalat should alert motorists.
I strongly believe that until and unless we are able to change drivers’ attitudes, our roads will never be safe.
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
Letters to the editor, The National
online 26/03/2014
in print 27/03/2014
To read it in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.
Dangerous driving – Gulf Today, Dt. 22 March 2014
Dangerous driving
After a meeting in Dubai, I was returning back home to Abu Dhabi. It was Thursday around 10:50 pm and the road was busy with drivers either returning home or were visitors to Abu Dhabi for the weekend.
I was crossing the Shahama area of the E11 Dubai – Abu Dhabi road. Roadwork was going on in that area. It is my routine to drive within the speed limit on the 2nd last lane and always watch out for dangerous movements happening behind through all the three mirrors.
Suddenly, I noticed a car coming in extremely fast, flashing the light several times, half through the ambulance and half through the fast lane.
He came and passed in a flash, so much so that I was unable to even identify the type of car or its number.
His driving created a dangerous feeling in my mind. I was aware of the roadwork a kilometre away and the road narrowing ahead.
My mind prompted me to call 999 without any hesitation. Promptly, the central unit of the UAE Police picked up the call. I explained to the officer that I was witnessing a dangerous driving situation on the road.
Upon identifying the route, the officer transferred the call to probably the unit in charge of the particular section. All this time, I was on hands-free and talking to them as I drove ahead. By the time he was able to zero in on the location, I reached ahead to the location where the roadwork was happening.
I noticed several metal particles on the road and then saw at least five cars damaged badly. One of them was on fire. I realised that I had just escaped! If I were one minute ahead, I would have been in that crash!
The officer was still on the phone and I told him, “Sir, no point now. The accident I was trying to avert has already happened. It looks like a major one. Please send the rescue team.”
I am sure he was speeding all along the way. If there was one other person who noticed this dangerous driving and was there to call and alert the UAE Police on 999, a few kilometres before me, it could have been a different story.
Until and unless we are able to change the attitude of these one-off dangerously crazy driving minds on our roads, it will never be safe.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.
Jebel Hafeet Descend
https://www.youtube.com/v/tmGHw_8iEEU?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata
Al Ain Jebel Hafeet descend on a rainy day. Beautiful, serene and one of the must visit place in the UAE. Video taken using Samsung S4 Zoom mounted on to the car and listening to one of my favorite music station Radio 4 Hum Fm on a Friday afternoon.
A Park, Ride and Click project by Passionate Photographers.
Motorists endanger lives of others – Gulf News Community Report – Dt. 10 March 2014
Motorists endanger lives of others
Reader raises concern over motorists stopping in the middle of the road and causing blocks.
By Ramesh Menon, Gulf News reader
Published: 16:52 March 9, 2014
There are several ways one can invite accidents. I witness one such situation very often.
It occurs just in front of a mall in the Tourist Club Area of Abu Dhabi. Many a times, cars stop to pick or drop passengers, delivery vans stop to off-load items, or even tourist buses stop to drop people.
The extreme right line is the place where all this is happening. This is a road where traffic exists at all times during the day and these violations create blocks and near misses.
The concerned authorities should come out with a mechanism or safety system to alert and avoid the recurrence of this practice.
To read it in original, please visit GULF NEWS online.
Be a community reporter. Tell us what is happening in your community. Send us your videos and pictures at readers@gulfnews.com
My comments : Decreasing overall speed should be goal of radar The National Dt. 09 March 2014
A driver can also be pulled over and issued a fine by a traffic policeman, who use both marked and unmarked patrol cars.
“I’ve seen a heightened police presence on Saadiyat highway and the road towards Mussaffah when you drive through Salam Street last year,” said Ramesh Menon, an Abu Dhabi resident for 25 years.
“But these days many have resorted to speeding, tailgating and reckless driving since no one’s there to stop and fine them.”
To read this in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.
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