Traffic chief wants driving age set at 16

Added 16:34 October 25, 2009

i would agree that the driving age should be reduced to 16 because this will educate youngsters and will provide them with more knowledge and experience about obeying the driving safety rules. however this will only be succesful if the rules and punishments become stricter and maybe if there is a subject in schools that will also educate the teens about driving. an example of this is found in USA and Canada where 16 is the driving age. UK, I think, has a driving age of 17 which is still less than that in UAE, so I think that the driving age should be reduced.

Souren Hagop, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 16:31 October 25, 2009

i m totally disagree of this decision bcoz below 18 youngsters they are playing on roads specially i saw few youngsters may they have DL or no tbut they are very reckless and drive in zigzag way so lets see dubai police have very good policies they can control it, Long live Dubai police.

Abdul Wahab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 16:21 October 25, 2009

What are you saying that the age of 16- 18 are still into video games etc. The elders are the ones who are irresponsible drivers, look at the accident toll now and compare it to the accident tolls in the US for example as they start driving at 16.

Marwan Al Nakla, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 16:19 October 25, 2009

I think reducing the age limit to 16 is a good idea as it will be convenient for the teenagers whose parents are old or have health issues.

wamiq amjad, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates

Added 16:17 October 25, 2009

I believe that the age needs to be elevated to 21 instead so that usage of public transport or shared means would be encouraged as members of that age group develop a matured approach towards driving. Dropping the age would benefit the economy without any doubt but will contribute to more pollution, increased occurrence of accidents, and less use of already installed modern means of public transport system. I hope the government abolishes this new initiative as it will bring along harmful consequences rather than better ones.

M.K., Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 16:07 October 25, 2009

I think reducing the driving age limit is necessary if we need safe drivers in future. We learn by experience and if 16 year olds are given license, they will learn better and we would have safer roads

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 16:06 October 25, 2009

if da age is decreased thn y others r talking abt accident...one day every one will die...i have seen da comments y other r talking abt death...if they r decreasing so wid dat dey shld have rules wid it also...i do agree wid dis..i m a student aged 16 ...nw days bus fees r also increased so high...so i do agree!!..nd 16 years old youngstars r undr parents condition so parents can decide wat is good nd wat is bad...so in do agree wod dis thx aloot

Hasoon, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 16:01 October 25, 2009

I think that the legal age to drive should be 18, but like in the States, permits should be given out at 16 - i.e. they can only drive during the day and there must be someone above 21 in the car with them at all times. On top of that, at 18, drivers lessons and tests should still be taken and passed.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 15:53 October 25, 2009

i disagree to lower the allowed age for driving..it would be better if the person is matured enough to understand the risk and danger he/she may cause. teens are very agressive and less patient.. it can be a danger to other motorist if lot of them come across the streets driving recklessly. Although, programmed can be promoted to educate the future driver at an early age like including it as a school subject or conduct risk evaluation as to which age level an individual can have its driving.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 15:36 October 25, 2009

Wow. i Just cant believe this. is this goina solve the problem? As it is dubai has one of the worst drivers in and if we see the number of lives lost every year its just pathetic.On top of that now the authoritys wants youngsters to start learning right at the age of 16 . i m sure authoritys are trying to take steps on how to reduce road accidents so why implement a rule like this. i feel that the right age would be 22 and not even 18. there are a lot of youngsters who drive even with out a license as most of the kids out here have that craze in driving porsch vehicles. Lets stick on to one rule instead of changing it.

Mr Mathew Litty, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 15:30 October 25, 2009

I read a lot of the comments. Most of them were against the idea, and all are saying one reason "16 is too young" but no real proof, that is probably because you already can drive. I am not only saying this because I am 16! But because it seems fair, 16 is not young, if you think it is too dangerous let us look at the statistics. In the US the legal driving age is 16, and the number of accidents there are nowhere near the number over here, even though the states is much bigger than UAE, even some places in Europe have a low age limit for driving. The roads are not dangerous because of us, why should we pay for your mistakes, and even if the age limit is not reduced, we will still have underage drivers, who will be driving faster for the fun of breaking the law, once they get their license the thrill will be gone! What makes 18 so special that most people think it is the right age? It is only 2 years away from 16!

Nadim Al Sharif, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 15:26 October 25, 2009

They should be permitted to drive in the company of an adult who has held a valid license for over 5 years, has 0 instances of reckless driving. Once they turn 18 they should take a second test in order to be permitted to gain full privileges. Should they be caught driving on their own they should not be able to drive for 5 years. No amount of money should allow these teenagers to get license privileges back if they break this rule.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 15:24 October 25, 2009

Reducing the minimum age required for acquiring a driving licence to 16 from 18 does not seem like a right idea. Kids at 16 are still in their teens and very young to start driving. Why give them an opportunity to cause or be in an accident and face gory consequences? It is better the age be raised to 21 years and let the younger generation live their life without having to face the stress of driving. Surely the young readers would be irked with the comments coming in from all the elderly readers but they need to bear in mind that they are the future generation and need to be secure and confident individuals. Also, when young kids start driving cars at a young age they would later find it difficult to switch to public transport like buses or Metro trains.

Naina Nair, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Added 11:18 October 25, 2009

Driving license should be above 21 only. At the age of 16 a youngster is in fantacies and imaginations therefore it would not be safe to drive with the matured drivers on the road.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 11:02 October 25, 2009

The driving age should be kept at 18 years. However, I agree with the concept that education on safe driving must be started at school level, even before the age of 16 years. An additional condition that could be imposed and that has its own benefits is that until the age of 19 years only supervised driving should be allowed so that safe driving habits are instilled into the new driver.

Faiz Jalal, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 11:01 October 25, 2009

I would disagree with the idea of reducing the age limit to apply for driving licenses. I feel youth aged between 16-18 years are more likely to speed excessively because they are used to playing video games and also can easily be engaged in a road rage.

Aqeel, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 10:41 October 25, 2009

I think allowing teenagers from the age of 16 to drive is wrong. How can they suggest something like this, only recently two brothers were killed in RAK in a motor vehicle accident. It was then suggested that the age to drive would be increased, now the authorities want to reduce the driving age.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 10:27 October 25, 2009

Reducing the Age Limit means more racers on the road the teenagers behind the wheel means adding more of what is already a reason for speedy accidents. I don't know what statistics they are talking about but this is the fact A safe Driver would be one who understands his/her responsibilities towards self, family and the people around. I feel that teenager is the last person who could fit this.

Waseem, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 10:11 October 25, 2009

Surprised by such a suggestion. Have you seen how teenagers drive - especially those who want to show off or race with their buddies?! We do not need to endanger our roads any further - it does that all with the assistance of reckless drivers, which includes teenagers.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 10:04 October 25, 2009

Well It would be better start at young, as its said, catch them young. Getting license is a big nightmare in Dubai, Im in the road most of the time, and I see very bad bad drivers, you need to educate these folks first, the action should be stricter no matter who the driver is and impose heavy fine and strict law as there are thousands of impatient drivers on the road.

Altaf, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 10:02 October 25, 2009

Driving Age limit should never be 16 years. Young children take up the roads to fulfil their thrill of driving fast and no matter what you teach them, they will do what they had always planned to do at 16...

Khurram Shaikh, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 10:00 October 25, 2009

Sure, let them drive on these insane roads at 16 so they can die younger? I believe this country is not ready for 16 year olds at the wheel when many do not even wear seat belts. How many times do you see kids walking around inside a moving vehicle or babies standing up on seats, kids sitting in the lap of the driver who is on the phone while driving? Sure, educate the 16 year olds earlier. However in the course of education take them to hospital facilities and show them the people who are vegetables, those who will never walk again, and those who will never feed themselves or do anything for themselves again. Take them to the sites of accidents where the police and emergency services are in the wreckage on the highway because they have died in a tragic road accident. Let them hear for themselves the crying and wailing, and experience firsthand the suffering and sorrow a family and loved one go through.

Anonymous, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:55 October 25, 2009

The idea is definitely not good. It can create more problems on the road.Young blood will boil and spill over.

Ranjit Mannath, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:53 October 25, 2009

If there is an accident or any other matters related to crime or legal will the 16 year old be tried in normal courts or Juvenile and what will be the rights of effected party?

Anonymous, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:40 October 25, 2009

Why should educating youngsters be coupled with issuing driving permits at 16? Aren't the roads dangerous enough?

Zaid, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:40 October 25, 2009

It is bad enough that incompetent and rash drivers who are 18 and above are plying the streets. By reducing the legal age you might be: 1. Making the streets even more dangerous 2. Legalising the common practice of under-age people who drive and who are immature and unfit to be behind a wheel. This suggestion does not appear to be a good idea for me.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:39 October 25, 2009

I think its better to reduce the legal age of driving from 18 to 16. It is more easier for a younger driver to understand more about road safety than an old driver.I hope this rule is implemented soon.

Franklyn Joseph, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:35 October 25, 2009

Considering the danger of the roads in and around Dubai as it is, i'm quite surprised at this report. In the US, people between the ages of 16-25 pay a higher price for insurance because they are in a high-risk group for accidents. Dubai already has dangerous driving practices as it stands already, I can only imagine what it would be like adding more immature/dangerous drivers to the road.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:30 October 25, 2009

Infact i think the age limit should be increased to 21! There is no requirement for 16 year olds driving cars, the only purpose for a teenager would be pleasure driving. Young people should be trained to make use of public transport.

Mark, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:26 October 25, 2009

I am completely against this proposal as this is a city where traffic accidents caused by young drivers in their 20s result in so many deaths and devastate the lives of so many families. And most of these are due to speeding by someone feeling invincible behind the wheels of a powerful car put in their young unaware hands. If at all, the authorities should consider increasing the driving age.

Max, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:24 October 25, 2009

I am totally against this, since youth might be better drivers but when to come to accident ratio it will be more on the youth side i think. Many youngsters look at the road as a race track and reducing the age limit from 18 to 16 means more loss of innocent lifes and increase in the number of traffic jams.

Habiba B Mohammad, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:19 October 25, 2009

Reducing the Driving Age to 16 COULD work but only with the right controls - i.e. probation period/plates, maximum engine size, enforcement of existing laws, etc. Education in road safety should start at a very early age and be drummed home throughout the entire schooling process

Darren, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:18 October 25, 2009

I dont think that reducing driving license age is a good idea, usually youngs are more inclinded to speed than older people they are very energetic. We dont forget how many deadly car accidents we witnessed this year. It is good to educate them about road safety and driving ethics in schools rather than reducing the age to be granted driving license. Maybe it would have been better to increase it to 21. How many times you are driving on a high way and a speedy car passes you , you think they care about radars?

Dania, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 09:03 October 25, 2009

This might invite more accidents

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 08:59 October 25, 2009

Age doesn't matter Person's slef behaviour DOES matters....

Anonymous, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Added 08:52 October 25, 2009

I totally Agree with Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein on his suggestion or proposal, I am of the age of 20 Years and when i was sixteeen i was anxious to get on the roads, and waiting till 18 was very difficult for me, and whenever i saw keys lying on the table at home i would steal one of my parents cars. After i had passed my test and recieved my driving license it wasn't that exiting, didn't drive because i wanted to, drove because i needed to get to University or work etc... At the current time Students graduate from schools from the age of 16-18 and not being allowed to drive causes difficulties for the parents and students, financially, time consuming for some parents, very difficult for the young students to manage their timing, because they have to wake up extra early to catch the bus or whatever means of transport, and stay at University later to leave whenever the person or bus dropping him home is ready. the new generations should learn to be more independent and we should support this idea to bring them closer to their independency.

Ahmad Omar, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 08:51 October 25, 2009

Doesn't sound like a well thought-out plan to me. They're basing this on what? One year's survey of fatalities? This issue should be studied thoroughly by other parties too. As it is, we cannot stand any more cars on the road. And we would definitely do better without teenagers' hormones behind the wheels.

Fatima Al Hashimi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 08:33 October 25, 2009

My opinion 16 is too young for driving set license. As we know many of accident mostly from young drivers even they already had lisence. The important thing is how to manage your emotion when you are driving a vehicle. My suggestion 18 is the right age set for lisence.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 08:27 October 25, 2009

The proposal to consider reducing the driving age to 16 contradicts the trend in the US to RAISE the legal driving age to 18. Statistically, 16 year-olds are three times more likely to die in a car crash than the average driver. These grim statistics are attributed by the lack of mature decisions regarding speeding, wearing seat belts, risk taking (e.g. driving through yellow lights). Why would the UAE wish to experiment with having younger people driving when experience in the rest of the world is cause for increasing the driving age?

Marcus , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 08:23 October 25, 2009

I completely disagree with the proposed age limit... At this age he/she cannot think of what's good and what's bad. Speeding would be the only factor in thier minds and if this gets introduced I should think of drving cars in the UAE . Kids are too cocky and feel too indestructible to trust them behind the wheel of 3,000 pounds of steel.Sixteen is simply too young to shoulder the responsibility of driving safely and too often results in death unfortunately.Two years of maturity will save a lot of lives and also theis would create a lot of other problems to the peer groups.

Anonymous, Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates

Added 08:16 October 25, 2009

It is not advisiable to implement this rule for driving at the age of 16. All the teenagers between 15 to 18 will be very enthustatic in this time and they bother about their life. This may cause more accident and their aim is only reach to the place very fast.

Shaheen Fatima, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Added 08:10 October 25, 2009

This is wrong...The age should be 22, if you look and research the accidents, its all young boys who have been in. Please do not make it 16, young generation is dying coz of accidents...Plus all the cars giving to young guys should make an automatic speed limit to 120Km thats it.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 07:59 October 25, 2009

Considering that lately most of the horrific accidents seem to have teenagers somehow involved, I am quite surprised at this proposal. In fact, I think that the minimum age limit should be increased.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 07:56 October 25, 2009

I think this is a bad idea from my point of view. Yes young childrens should be educated about safety in driving but giving them license to drive at this age is not good.

Praveen, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Added 07:53 October 25, 2009

In the USA, depending on the state, you can get a permit when you are 15 and a half or 16, and may only drive if accompanied by a licensed adult (over 21, sometimes 18 or 25). After carrying the permit for usually 6 months or a year, you may then be signed off to drive alone, sometimes with restrictions on passengers or time of day. This is a decent system which allows people under 18 to drive without compromising safety on the roads. After living in Dubai for 7 years, I left just before I turned 18, and I definitely think that the 18 rule should be changed especially in such a dynamic city where teens should be able to take advantage of the road system. Personally I do not think age plays any role in one's ability to drive safely, it's a matter of knowledge, experience, and maturity, which can be learned at any age. It also has a great deal to do with one's familiarity of the road. This is a big problem in Dubai, where many drivers come from countries with different road systems, and are expected to comply with Dubai's driving rules and regs. As a commercial pilot, we must maintain certain currency requirements to legally be able to fly. These usually include oral and flight reviews within the past so-many months, updating our knowledge and skills every so-often. Even though we are licensed, we must still go through this process, which keeps us safe in the skies. I believe this should apply to drivers as well; we typically get our license and never have to take another driving test again. We then develop unsafe driving habits as we drive and learn from 'experience', and there is nothing forcing us away from these bad habits Sure we can legally drive, but that doesn't mean we aren't unsafe drivers. Remember, just because it's legal, doesn't mean it's safe. This is without doubt a good idea, but I don't think the age limit really has any impact on safety of our roads; it has to do with how we are taught to drive and how we keep up with our driving style. We need to implement a licensing system which incorporates these ideas. I have heard of many people who pay thousands of Dirhams to go to driving school and get their licenses, but in the end they still don't come out as safe drivers. We spend money to put more speed cameras on the roads, but this still doesn't seem to make us safe drivers. Sure reducing the age limit is one way to change the system in order to make it better, but that isn't the only thing that needs changing!

Anonymous, Florida, United States

Added 07:30 October 25, 2009

I dont think its a good idea to provide driving license at the age of 16.Awareness class on road safety and safe driving in schools and colleges is a good idea.i have seen many youngsters during weekend they drive over speed and raise the volume of audio system highly disturbing others.so it is better to issue license at the age of 18 this is my personal opinion

Arifa Saihusadat, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Added 07:21 October 25, 2009

I think the most number of accidents on the roads are caused by young motorists and reducing the age limit will make it worse. The teens nowadays are not matured enough to know responsibility and they only care about how cool it is to drive a car or to show off the kind of wheels they have!

Marby, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 07:19 October 25, 2009

Honestly it is a good idea to teach them how to drive, or at least start with the basis. But if laws were implemented as in if you are a 16 year old with a license you require to have at least an 18 year old or above person next to you with a valid driving license; and this law or rule would be taken seriously then yes I do agree. Yet I still see the matter that 16 year olds are still young to drive and this matter be studied seriously over a specific period of time, because people's lives are at hand.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 07:15 October 25, 2009

i will not agree on this, maybe the authority has not yet seen how those teenagers drive and what kind of behavior they are doing on the streets. dont give them license on this early age the best thing is educate them first, you cannot have drivers license without proper training and knowledge but you can have life with proper education and good behavior.

Anonymous, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 06:52 October 25, 2009

This is an excellent idea, because getting the youth involved at a young age makes them think less of driving as a joke. Keep it up!

Royston , Philadelphia, United States

Added 06:43 October 25, 2009

Getting a Driving license at the age of 16 is too risky for the country. They will surely be diverting their mind from studies. Above all the fact of accidents would be more, as showing stunts from movies etc would be more at this early age of eager.

Anonymous, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Added 06:29 October 25, 2009

As my openion the best age for get Driving licence is 18 . A persons very thrilling time is his teen age among teen age most thrilling period is 15 to 18. There were a chance to play with vehicles. They were not bothered about the consequences of an accident. Thanks

Abdul Salam, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 06:00 October 25, 2009

Some individuals are mature enough to drive at 16. It is not only skills which are required, but a rational mind, calm demeanor and logical/critical thinking. These should be measured as well to ensure a well-rounded driver.

Anonymous, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 03:32 October 25, 2009

You are giving a proposal for the legal age to be reduced from 18 to 16! First of all I think that the legal age for any kind of motorist should be at least 21 years. 16 is too early to grab your hands on a legal license because people won't follow the safety rules as they all will be young and energetic and more eager to get onto the accelerator than the car brake pedal. And one more thing younger people are very easily flattered, so for example if a person sitting beside the driver will tell him/her that they are driving too slow or they are driving very good, then the driver will automatically feel honored and flattered and will try to drive to the maximum speed (so now it's up to your thinking that what happens after speeding). Everybody can see now a days that mostly serious road accidents are caused by teenagers and between the age of 20 - 22. Now it's up to you all but for me i will never agree to this proposal. Thank you.

From A Reader, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Added 02:36 October 25, 2009

the age 16 wont be safer unless u add some restriction to it.if a sixteen year old kid is given car license he should go through diffrent sequence of driving, like he should be given a provisional number plate in this number plate if he exceed speed or break law he will be strictly punished, if he breaks any law in P plate his license will be suspended. unless they bring similiar rules i would say in a place like uae 16 yr old is not safe, bcoz of speeding

Anonymous, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Added 00:52 October 25, 2009

16 YEARS ??? PLEASE NO. 16 YEARS IS A STIMULI AGE, LICENCING SUCH YOUNG STAR COULD BE RISKY, THE AGE LIMIT FOR A SAFE DRIVER SHOULD STAND AT 18. AGE 16 CANNOT BARE THE PRESSURE OF THE ROAD AND ONLY DRIVE FOR PLEASURE, ROAD USERS ARE REQUIRED TO BE DISCIPLINED AND MATURE AT LEAST NOT AT EARLY AGE OF 16. HOPE SOMEONE WILL HELP OUT.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates