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What's the hurry, try defensive driving

Have car or bike, will drive at top speed', appears to be the mantra of the young on our roads. The bigger the car, the faster they drive. Stepping on the accelerator is having a killing effect on the UAE's young drivers, who are racing to their deaths, leaving bright futures and tearful families behind. Accidents may be marginally down on the country's roads, thanks to stricter laws, more speed radars, cameras and awareness campaigns, but the young are not heeding the warning signs despite the rising death toll.
But first, here's some relief. Road deaths recorded in the first ten months of the year were down to 560. from 589 during the same period in 2014. Now for the bad news. The Ministry of Interior says around 63 per cent of all traffic accidents this year were caused by drivers aged 18-35. What's more shocking is that young drivers were responsible for 34 per cent of deaths on the road.
These stark statistics, however, are not slowing down the youth. On Wednesday, an Emirati teenager died in an accident in Ras Al Khaimah. He had no chance of survival when the motorbike he was riding was hit by a speeding SUV driven by a 20-year old Emirati. The car switched lanes and swerved suddenly before mowing down the boy, who died on the spot in an internal road of the emirate. Police say the lad did not have a licence to ride a motorbike and the driver of the killer vehicle was in a hurry and did not indicate before changing lanes.
Residents complain of kids taking to the road early and causing distress and damage to other motorists and property. Authorities are debating ways to bring down youth deaths on the road by lowering the age for driving licences to 16 years from the current 18, which we think is a bad idea.
Only recently, 51,000 incidents of tailgating were clicked on Dubai's roads alone. The violators were slapped fines, but reckless motorists are still not getting the message. The Traffic Coordination Directorate General says sudden swerving was the main reason for traffic accidents this year. Figures show 765 accidents were caused by sharp moves on the road - the reason for Wednesday's accident, which claimed another young life. Some motorists do not scan all three mirrors before they decide to make a move on the road, while others switch lanes without turning on their indicators. They expect vehicles behind them or on other lanes to understand their actions - it's like a dance of death.
Driver training manuals are updated and also include mandatory theory lessons, but the issue here is about attitude, and defensive driving, which is important for drivers of all age groups. Speed is nothing without control.