3 tips to stay safe on UAE roads this New Year

Road accidents have become a growing problem in UAE for residents and authorities.

Here are three ways how motorists can stay safe on UAE roads.
'Using Seat Belts' would avoid most of UAE's road fatalities.
RoadSafetyUAE recommends wearing of seat belts at all times. Passengers must fasten their seat belt. In addition to the driver and co-driver, the passengers in the backseat must buckle up to ensure their own safety.
"Road accidents happen all over the world and the single most important device that can be used to avoid injuries and fatalities is the use of seat belts. We view this as the most low-hanging fruit to achieve the UAE government's ambitious targets of the 'Vision 2021', which aims at lowering road fatalities from 6/100,000 inhabitants (2015) to 3/100,000 by 2021," says Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE .
'Time Management' would cure many problems caused by 'running late'
Poor time management of UAE's motorists often leads to 'running late', and the lost time is tried to be regained while driving. This leads to reckless driving, speeding, jumping queues and red lights, lane swerving, tailgating and bullying other traffic participants, Edelmann explains.
Surveys have revealed that 67 per cent of UAE motorists claim 'running late' as being the root cause for speeding. Hence, motorists are adised to start applying proper time management, for example by starting every road trip 10 minutes early. This would not only reduce the stress levels and ensure the safety of the motorist, but also guarantee the safety of the passengers and that of the surrounding fellow road traffic participants.
'Road Etiquette & Politeness' would address many aspects of reckless behaviour
The lack of road etiquette and politeness is the main contributor towards accidents and near misses. In a related study published by RoadSafetyUAE in 2016, 55 per cent of motorists state, that roads have become more dangerous, 75 per cent observe more distracted driving, 66 per cent experience more lane swerving, 65 per cent more speeding and 69 per cent more tailgating.
"Road etiquette and politeness play a pivotal role - motorists must treat others like they want to be treated, in the same respectful and polite manner. We have to care for each other and we must show this in our road behaviour. Even if we are running late or end up in other stressful situations, good manners and a caring attitude for others must prevail", Edelmann concludes.
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