I commute daily from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, the speed limit for the highway is 120kph with signs indicating a maximum of 140kph. On a daily basis I see drivers sat in the far left hand lane travelling at speeds lower than the speed limit, with three clear lanes to their right. Is it really that difficult for people to understand that if you are not over taking then you should be in the right hand lane?
I am struggling to understand whether this driving behavior is down to ignorance or lack of education. Maybe the Department of Transport need to remove the magnets which seem to pulling these vehicles towards the central reservation….
It’s a major issue. The authorities have a lot to do in this country of many cultures and most importantly for a society and city which depends critically on the car and on highways.
The three things that need to go hand in hand for safety to all on roads are the three E’s. That is Engineering (building the roads properly); Education (teaching the benefits of driving and the risks of driving); and Enforcement (someone watching and reinforcing proper driving on roads). From my traveling and working in India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and UAE; the Engineering part is somehow met, but the last two items Education and Enforcement are almost lacking.
It is the lack of these two last elements that lead to not having any type of discipline and courteous behavior on the roads, leading to loss of life and property. This could be corrected, if the officials take things seriously and people get enlightened about road and traffic safety.
We have a non-profit organization called Driver Education and Enlightenment Program (DEEP); please visit http://www.deeprprogram.com to learn more about brining up a new generation of children with discipline and courtesy in using road facilitates. I could be contacted at +971 565651595; working in Sharjah now.
Well for me this is really a huge issue also on the roads. You will find every now and then a slacker on the fastest lane on the left, even knowing the speed limits clearly mentioned on sign boards placed a regular intervals on the roads. These Drivers are always driving slow and / or not giving way to the traffic which are on that specific vehicle’s back. That also causes delays at times and also increases the chances of traffic congestion, tail gaiting, which is really annoying.
Also at times, the drivers, even knowing everything on the roads they leave a huge gap of couple of cars in front of them and are under the speed limits. This Really needs to be addressed and i think that Police & RTA should fine these cars also who are not following the basic instructions of the roads and their driving. If the Speed Cams are for Speedy Cars who are breaking the speed limits, it should also be for the sleepy drivers who do not follow the rules and regulations of the roads while they are driving.