UAE | Traffic and Transport

Death on roads 'due to financial stress'

The Traffic and Licensing Department has attributed the sharp increase in the number of deaths on the road in the first half of this year to rising prices and the burdens put on drivers.

  • By Nasouh Nazzal,Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:08 July 2, 2008
  • Gulf News

Ras Al Khaimah: The Traffic and Licensing Department has attributed the sharp increase in the number of deaths on the road in the first half of this year to rising prices and the burdens put on drivers.

The minds of drivers are preoccupied, considering many issues, the least of which is safe driving, a department official said.

Fifty people of different nationalities died in road accidents here in the first half of this year, registering a 47 per cent increase compared to the first half of the previous year where 34 people died in road accidents.

According to traffic statistics released yesterday by the Traffic and Licensing Department, 40 per cent of fatalities involved Emiratis, with 20 dying in road accident in the first half of this year, along with 30 others of various nationalities.

Colonel Hassan Al Braiki, the Deputy Director of the Traffic and Licensing Department said drivers' minds were preoccupied with their responsibilities and domestic daily troubles.

He added that failure to focus on driving made them unaware of speed limits, traffic regulations and signs which could secure their safety and that of others. Colonel Al Braiki said the number of vehicles licensed and registered had sharply increased in Ras Al Khaimah and the current road infrastructure could not accommodate them. This has also contributed to the rise in road accidents.

The majority of fatalities on the road is due to the fact that motorists are preoccupied by thoughts about their responsibilities and domestic troubles.

Are you ever preoccuppied while driving? How does it affect you? Do you think the rising costs have influenced your behaviour? How? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form bellow to send your comments.

Your comments


I've been driving for 10 yrs and I consider my car as a deadly weapon which can hurt me and other people. So I take extra care each time my hands are on the wheels. However, even if a driver like me is very careful, others are not, and then accidents will affect the careful ones. For me saying that their financial problem is the cause why they can?t focus on their driving it is just a lame excuse. I feel that most accidents in the UAE are actually caused by reckless drivers.
Lou
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 02, 2008, 12:49

Of Course apart from traffic congestion the burden of scheduling budget i.e. Payment of House Rent, Payment of Bank Installments, Credit Card Payments, family maintenance and then sending a meager portion to home country. It?s a true study that financial worries are adding more roadside fatal accidents due to frustration resulting for not being able to cope with financial obligations. Inflation must be curtailed to its minimum to bring prosperity and relaxation to the residents of Dubai.
Muhammad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 02, 2008, 12:47

While driving many times I lost my concentration as my mind was so pre-occupied with all the expenses I have to bear, working without any savings made me really think. I have been in UAE for almost 20 years and I have started packing and sorting out all my personal obligations, i.e., personal loan, car loan, parking fee, house rent, etc. and will be moving out of UAE soon and that is due to the high cost of living here.
Salma
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 02, 2008, 12:21

I think yes financial stress, is the main topic which has been running in my head all the time. the price has increased alarmingly hight than our salaries, i don't understand how can we survive in this condition i am from India and i feel that we cannot survive in Dubai anymore and it is better to go to India and work, as we have no savings, i work for a government company and my salary is 4789AED after working for 10 years, this time the prices for food and rent has sky rocketed beyond expectations, and my salary is not at all sufficient to support my living in this place, as the rent itself takes 50% of my salary, and i can see no intervene by the government to stop this price rise especially in the rent area. due to the above reasons i have been in stress and finding it very hard to manage my family.
Dhanish
Dubai,U.A.E
Posted: July 02, 2008, 10:26

Well, most of the times my pressure goes up to the fact of using salik on SZR and Garhood and experience traffic after crossing the toll. I have seen people failing to give way since they are so frustrated. This keeps building on as days pass. Leading to hypertension and stress which is not good for a driver on the road. I believe accidents happen to people being stuck in traffic and then have to make up for the time loss.
Faisal
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 02, 2008, 09:26

OFFCOURSE it does and almost all the times people are preoccupied with other burdens and with relatively rising voices about the increasing rents and inflation
haresh
dubai,united arab emirates
Posted: July 02, 2008, 08:26

Please, these are silly excuses... people all over the world are well aware speeding kills.... Come on UAE Police, people are not obeying traffic rules. Motorists all over the world have problems in their lives, what Dubai problems are different from the rest of the world. Traffic Police need to be more strict, launch campaigns people don't care, and they NOT don't care because they are troubled in live, because they can get away with it.
Juanita
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 02, 2008, 08:09

Yes rising cost increased the tension. Always thinking how will I live in dubai.
pp
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 02, 2008, 07:10

ofcourse...the rising of rent is one of the factor..its tormenting thru out day and night.This strain affects while driving also.
Gibu
sharjah,UAE
Posted: July 02, 2008, 06:48

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