Unfortunately, we all witness speeding on a daily basis. Not surprisingly, speeding is one of the main contributors to the death toll on our roads. Many of us drive very powerful and fast cars and we have to use those vehicles in a very responsible manner.

If we want to experience the thrill of speed there are option available on our UAE race tracks (both in Dubai and Abu Dhabi) to do so in a safe and controlled environment and under the supervision and guidance of true experts – but speeding on the roads is just a no-go!

Here is some information from the World Health Organization:

Inappropriate speed is a key risk factor for road traffic collisions, deaths and injuries: Exceeding the speed limit, or traveling too fast for road conditions can increase your chances of being in a crash. It’s harder for vehicles to safely stop or react to changing road conditions at unsafe speeds. Traveling at the appropriate speed can help drivers successfully avoid crashes.
Speed management is everyone’s responsibility, and technology can help: There are a number of steps that all road users can take to help reduce the number of deaths and severe injuries due to speed. Technology can help – reminding drivers of their speed and safety features like automatic emergency braking are proven to help reduce fatalities and severe injuries.
Governments play a key role and should work to design roads that balance mobility and safety: Enforcement is not the only way to help make road safer. Governments can build or modify roads include traffic calming feature, set speed limits that match type and mix of road users, and launch media campaigns to raise awareness. Comprehensive approaches that align with the local context can help.

UAE Statistics (RoadSafetyUAE and Zurich commissioned a YouGov on-line survey in April 2015; n=1005 UAE representative sample): 

What is your reason for speeding?	Average	18-24	25-29	30-34	35-39	40+
Running late	67%	72%	71%	72%	65%	60%
For fun/to impress others	53%	55%	62%	46%	50%	50%
Out of habit	45%	40%	45%	45%	42%	49%
Knowledge of speed camera locations	39%	53%	29%	42%	41%	39%
Roads are designed for speed	27%	10%	25%	37%	25%	28%
To test car’s abilities	22%	30%	25%	18%	23%	21%
Speeding is more culturally accepted in the UAE than my home country	21%	13%	18%	20%	21%	25%
Unlikely to be caught	15%	13%	11%	11%	20%	18%
Speeding fines are too low	5%	8%	6%	3%	8%	5%

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Just do the math!  Example: if your trip is 50 km and your ‘normal’ average speed is 100 km/h it will take you 30 minutes to arrive. However, should you leave 10 minutes late, you will have to increase your average speed to 150 km/h to arrive at the same time! Besides being hardly feasible in the first place, consider the increased risk for yourself, your passengers and other traffic participants, but also the increase in pollution, stress levels, and more!

Calculate for yourself using our ‘Running Late Speeding Calculator’: Calculations for Speeding

How to do it right

• Adhere to the speed limits at all times
• Plan your trip well and leave early to be on time without the need to speed
• Adjust your speed in ‘tricky’ every-day situations, for example in curves, in parking lots, when pedestrians or children are around, at tricky interchanges, when vulnerable traffic participants are around like bikers or motorbikes, and so on
• Adjust your speed in bad weather conditions with limited visibility like fog, rain and sand storms
• Adjust your speed in bad road conditions like water (aquaplaning), sand, gravel, rocks, (tire) debris, road surface damages and so on
• Stay alert, don’t get distracted and apply common sense to avoid ‘unintentional speeding’
• Make sure that you can stop your vehicle within the distance of visibility
• Even if you do run late, the world will not end, do not speed and maintain your safe road manners!
• Speeding does not shorten time, it shortens life!