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4x4 drivers ignore other commuters on highways
DUBAI — Thousands of people criss-cross the different highways of the country daily. Most of these highways are well built and allow travellers to reach their destination with ease and comfort.
Given the booming way in which the cities in the UAE are expanding and the myriad number of construction projects coming up all over the place, it would all have been a gruelling and time consuming task to travel from one place to another without these highways.
But where these highways have brought so much ease and reduced the travelling time, a number of problems have also arisen — Traffic jams, over speeding, cutting lanes, etc are some of them.
One such major man-made problem is the rash driving by many of the 4x4 or SUV drivers. Taking advantage of their comparatively bigger vehicles, they tend to intimidate other drivers by driving rashly.
They drive excessively fast, cut other drivers off, switch lanes without indicating and also tailgate.
"The way most of these 4x4 owners drive on the highway is barbaric," said Khursheed Khan, who travels from Ajman to Dubai daily using the Emirates Road.
"Saloon car owners like me have to be extremely cautious to avoid an accident with them. They drive rashly and just don't care about smaller cars."
"I use Shaikh Zayed Road to drive from Bur Dubai to Jebel Ali everyday for work. Most of the traffic jams and accidents that occur on this route are caused by SUVs. These people are insensitive to the lives of others and take a lot of unnecessary risks," said Rakesh Jagesar of India.
The fear of SUVs has been so instilled in some of the saloon drivers that it has affected their psyche.
They have resorted to different means to protect themselves and thus feel safer.
Rose Lee of Philippines said: "I owned a saloon car for the last three years and was satisfied driving it around town. But then my office shifted to Jebel Ali and I had to travel daily on the highway. After driving on the highway for a month, I realised how unsafe it was for a small-car driver like me. I sold my saloon and bought an SUV. Although it put a big dent in my pocket but I feel safer and don't get nervous on the highway any more."
"My children's school is on the way to my office," said John Gore, who commutes daily from Sharjah to Dubai also using the Emirates Road.
"Till last June, I used to drop them off myself on my way to office. Now I have seen so many accidents on the highway involving SUVs and saloon cars; with saloon cars usually bearing the brunt of damages and casualties that I no longer feel that my children are safe. From September on, when the school reopens after the holidays, my children will travel in the school bus. Although it's expensive, uncomfortable and takes a longer time to reach its destination, I have the comfort of feeling that my children are safer."
It's not only small-car owners that complain about the rash driving of SUV owners. The SUV owners themselves admit to it.
"I admit that 4x4 drivers drive rashly. In fact, I myself have been guilty of that act many times. A powerful car that is bigger than the ones around you tends to give one a feeling of power and invincibility. This more often than not leads one to drive without considering the rights and safety of other drivers," explained Lenny Pereira.
He drives an SUV to travel daily from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
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