Sebastian Tan, a Singaporean senior manager based in Dubai, is of the opinion that speed governors would be beneficial for all motorists on UAE roads.
He said: “Speed governors are a good idea. I drive every day and encounter reckless drivers every time I am out on the roads. I feel that trucks and minibuses should not be given leeway to drive on the fast lanes. I have noticed in Dubai that these motorist drive in the outermost lane all the time. So, if a speed governor was installed on these vehicles, it would be one way to cut down reckless driving. The speed limit should be set and forcefully implemented. Despite the current implementations, people are still being reckless.”
Aisha Al Janahi, an Emirati senior social media specialist based in Dubai, does not think either of the suggestions would work. The reason? She is convinced that people won’t care about the therapy sessions and treat it like a chore, whereas the speed governors won’t help because many people “don’t have control over their cars anyway”.
She said: “What we need is proper awareness. Once the authorities had awareness videos, which aimed to make people aware of the consequences of reckless driving. One of the videos showed a mother talking to her son on the phone, saying she will be home soon. And as she is speeding, she has an accident and dies. Seeing such a video moves you. It touches your heart and it reaches out to people. Instead, if you limit their speed or ask them to attend therapy, not everyone will care. People are constantly on social media. The authorities need to use these channels to reach them. Make it trend, and create a hashtag that catches the attention of web users. People won’t take your advice if you give it to them straight away. Teach them indirectly, use reverse psychology.”
Albert Gayo, a Filipino business owner based in Sharjah, is in favour of behavioural therapy. In his opinion, “fines are not enough” and motorists need a constant reminder of the consequences of their behaviour on the roads.
He said: “Therapy is a wonderful idea. It will remind traffic offenders of their responsibility to be good drivers. If they go through these sessions often, accidents will reduce. The therapy sessions should cover updated information of traffic rules as they might be changing or new rules might be implemented and some people may not be aware of them, especially people who have been driving for some time. Secondly, the therapy sessions need to help motorists separate their problems at home or work from their driving. A lot of the people that go out and drive have a lot of issues on their mind and in the process, they forget that they’re on the streets. They need to be reminded that they are not only responsible for themselves, but for the lives of other motorists on the road, too.”
Amitabh Tewari, an entrepreneur based in Dubai, works with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. In his opinion, speed governors are not a solution. He blames people’s behaviour on the roads for accidents and thinks that therapy sessions could work.
He said: “If you install speed governors, or something that inhibits speed, it infringes on one’s driving. Speed is just a contributor, not the main issue. There is a lack of knowledge and the basic system requires improvement. Highways should have exits that are more clearly marked and consistent traffic management is needed. Driving institutions could make behavioural therapy mandatory and give classes or lectures on the consequences of reckless driving.”
Tewari says that driving institutes have become commercialised and he is concerned that the idea of behavioural therapy, though good, could also be used for commercial purposes. However, he hopes that the suggestion could be taken into consideration as people on the road sometimes behave aggressively or can be “very hyper”.
He said: “People come to the UAE from different countries around the world and have different experiences. Road rage is a global phenomena.”
