Imagine if men are allowed to take selfies and women can put on make-up and brush their hair while driving to work.
Many accidents in Dubai occur because women are doing up their face or because men preen and adjust their headdress while looking into the rearview mirror, or take pictures of the cockpits of their posh cars, or of the rain, or videos of roadside accidents, or just about anything, while driving.
A senior police officer said these bad habits of motorists are even more dangerous than texting or talking on the mobile phone. “Put that camera down. Don’t let the driving selfie or video be your last,” he said.
A woman and a man will be fined Dh 1,000 if they are caught combing hair while driving, the police have warned.
All that will change when driverless cars come to Dubai and the UAE in the future.
I read a news story the other day that said Holland would allow testing of self-driving cars and trucks. The government believes that driverless cars can help reduce traffic jams and road accidents. “Vehicles that can talk to each other, brake and accelerate at the same time will help smooth the traffic flow,” a government official said.
As you know, California was the first state in the US that allowed testing Google’s self–driven cars on the roads.
That’s cool, I thought, and took the idea to the streets of Dubai and accosted unsuspecting expatriates.
I saw this woman getting down from her humungous SUV at the mall parking lot. She had her daughter by her side. “Excuse me, I am a journalist. Can I ask you a question?” When she nodded, I asked, “Do you think driverless cars are a good idea?”
She looked at me from behind her sunglasses for what seemed like a long time, and said, “Are you serious?” and walked away. The girl looked back and giggled.
The next person said he was new in town and was not qualified to speak about the residents’ driving habits.
Third time lucky, maybe, I said to myself as I walked up to a red-faced gentleman in the parking lot, who was walking with a companion, hand in hand. “That’s a terrific idea,” he said laughing loudly. “Nobody should be allowed to drive here. It’s, it’s… bad for my nerves,” he said, at a loss for words, looking at the woman at his side.
Missing the exit
“Why not? You have driverless trains,” he said, looking at the metro train whizzing past in the distance. “But I am not giving up this baby as yet,” he laughed, pointing to a classic Merc.
A driverless car will be a big boon for me, as I will not have to listen to the backseat driving instructions from my wife. I had got used to her telling me when to turn and not to speed over the years, that the other day when she got a call on her mobile as she was giving me instructions, I missed the exit off the highway and we landed up in the Jebel Ali industrial area. The self-driven car will really change my life for the better. I plan to install a couch inside and do what I do best: lie down and read.
When I reach my destination, I will get down and hand the car over to the parking valet. (I am not too sure what happens next. How will the valet park the car without any steering wheel?)
My wife who gets nervous and jittery while on the highway, will finally have a car of her own. But I am sure she would not be applying make-up as she rolls on to do her errands, as she will never take her eyes off the road as the car drives itself.
Mahmood Saberi is a freelance journalist based in Dubai. You can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@mahmood_saberi
