UAE | Traffic and Transport
Mobile phone use while driving raises crash risk
Using a mobile phone while driving greatly increases the risk of having an accident, according to a research carried out in Dubai.
- By Alia Al Theeb, Staff Reporter
- Published: 17:59 April 19, 2009
- Image Credit: Asghar Khan/Gulf News
- "Driving in the UAE is dangerous enough due to the high speed roads without the added risk of talking on the phone at the same time," says Bin Sulayem.
Dubai: Using a mobile phone while driving greatly increases the risk of having an accident, according to a research carried out in Dubai.
The 'MotoSafe' Study has demonstrated that increased danger exists when a mobile phone is hand-held rather than hands-free while driving.
The research was carried out at Emirates Driving Institute (EDI) under the supervision of the UK's Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), which is a charity organisation under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth.
The research is RoSPA's first road safety research undertaken in the Gulf region and it plans to initiate more such studies over the coming months.
In the UAE, it is a punishable offence to physically hold the mobile phone to the ear to talk whilst driving and the police strongly advocate the use of hands- free devices if people need to talk while driving.
'Intense and distracting'
"Driving in the UAE is dangerous enough due to the high speed roads without the added risk of talking on the phone at the same time," said rally champion Mohammad Bin Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club for the UAE, who was among those who took part in the study.
"Seven or eight years ago, we did not have this problem because nobody expected this growth in the number of cars.
"We are here promoting for a problem which is talking on phones while driving, as it is distracting and prevents motorists from concentrating on the roads," he said.
Psychologists have established that drivers under stress are more likely to have an accident and that stress levels increase during phone conversations.
Clinical and Forensic Psychologist Dr Raymond Hamden of the Human Relations Institute at Dubai's Knowledge Village said previous research in other countries has shown that driving while using a mobile phone is at least as dangerous as drink-driving.
He said drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be involved in accidents.
Other RoSPA studies have revealed that the majority of calls taken by drivers on a mobile are "intense, complex, business-related and distracting".
More from UAE Traffic and Transport
More from UAE
Latest news
- Sharjah boy tops Indian board's class 12 exams
- Dubai number plates auction raises Dh27m
- Youngsters dance and raise cash for charity
- Dubai departments upgrade services
- Get yourself a free test for diabetes
- Ensuring a safety net for intellectual property
- Reader's issue addressed
- 5,552 illegals held in Dubai this year
- Man cleared because he took drugs in France
- Man charged with trafficking women
- Auditors to probe Mizin graft case
- Breaking down cultural barriers with photographs
- Abu Dhabi Crown Prince visits Islamic centre
- Smart e-Gate system launched
- Cyber infidelity creeping out of virtual domain
Community Reports
-
Mirror, mirror show me the way
Driver on Salam Street had so many boxes and fruits piled into car, he would not be able to view rear or right side mirrors
-
Parents should be more vigilant
Reader's picture highlights risk of negligence by caretakers
-
Warming up to ‘Mobilise the Earth' theme
Dubai school dedicates a whole week to celebrating Earth Day with can-collection drives, sapling plantation and painting competition among others
-
Drivers using mobiles put others' lives at risk
Speeding is dangerous for the driver and other motorists
