Dubai: Reckless driving is a topic often discussed by Gulf News readers. However, there are some whose lives had been affected and forever changed by it, creating a void in their life.
Radha Hari, a Dubai resident, had a friend who lost her three-year-old daughter when she was run over by a speeding vehicle.
She said: “This happened more than 15 years ago in Dubai. A common friend was walking with her children to the elder one’s tuition class. They were trying to cross the road and were waiting for the traffic to slow down. She was holding her children’s hand, but suddenly the younger one ran across. A speeding motorist could not stop in time and the little girl died in the accident. If people have small children, they shouldn’t take any chances because accidents can happen. Additionally, motorists should stop their vehicle when approaching a traffic signal that has changed from green to amber instead of speeding. If the motoritst had stopped at the signal, the accident could have been avoided.”
Unmesh Datta, a student based in Sharjah, knows a family friend who lost her husband in an accident.
He said: “He died in a brutal car accident on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway. He was a jolly person who loved to spread happiness all around. He had a fond love for books and was a jovial man who loved to live life to the fullest.”
Datta says the man’s family suffered a lot after his demise, which was caused by a reckless driver.
He said: “Before driving in a dangerous manner or manoeuvring recklessly on roads, one should think about the consequences that their actions may have on other drivers and their families.”
Facebook reader Nicole Victoria wrote about her father who died in a crash two years ago.
She said: “My dad was driving in Romania when he got into an accident. He ended up being trapped between two trucks on a highway and the accident was the fault of the other drivers. I was terrified when I heard the news and my mum suffered a heart attack. But, over time, I came to terms with it. My mum is stable now, but it is still hard for her to remember it.”
Since the accident, Victoria says she has become very careful when driving.
'Just focus on the road'
She said: “People need to be careful on the road. Avoid any other activity, especially having a conversation on the phone or texting, and just focus. If necessary, use a headset or stop the car in a permisive section of the road. And before heading out for a drive, check your vehicle to ensure everything is fine.”
Nitin Kumar, a sales coordinator based in Dubai, lost some friends to road accidents in India.
He said: “It was during the first year of college in 2002. I especially remember my friend Hali Ambali. On March 23, 2002, he was on a motorbike with a senior student from the same college. The driver lost control of the bike and it crashed into a statue on the road. The impact injured the senior while Ambali’s spinal cord was smashed against the statue.
"They could only identify him through the clothes he was wearing; that was the extent of the damage to his face. Everyone from the college went to his home to pay their final respects, but I didn’t as I wanted to remember the good times I had with him.”
Fatigue is known to be one of the major causes of accidents around the world. According to the UK-based Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, research shows that driver fatigue may be a contributory factor in up to 20 per cent of road accidents.
Fatima Suhail, a Sharjah-based resident, lost an uncle in 1996. He died in a traffic accident, which was caused by fatigue.
She told Gulf News: “Before my mother passed away, following a prolonged illness and severe complications in February 1993, she took a promise from my uncle that he would take care of us in the absence of my father.
"But who knew what fate had in store and that he would only live another three years. It has been 19 years since his death, but his memories remain fresh in my mind as though it all happened yesterday.”
Suhail’s uncle, Saleem Malik, was travelling from Sharjah to Dubai with his business partner when the tragedy struck.
Test drive gone wrong
She said: “He was excited about his new car and travelled to Al Dhaid to test drive it. He and his partner were tired from lack of sleep and constant driving. In the wee hours, my uncle asked his partner to drive as he was too sleepy and wanted to rest.
"He fell asleep in the passenger seat. But, the driver was also fatigued and fell asleep at the wheel, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the rear of a truck that was carrying iron rods for a construction project. My uncle was woken up by the loud noise and died of a heart failure. He even suffered moderate injuries after iron rods pierced through his body. Surprisingly, the driver escaped unhurt.”
Suhail says that Malik was not faint-hearted and served in the Pakistan army for a few years. Thus, it was hard for her family to cope with his cause of death.
She said: “My grandmother remained in a state of shock for years. His absence is always felt on occasions of happiness and sorrow. I got my driver’s license 17 years since my uncle’s demise.
"When I drive, I exercise extra caution, avoid speeding and disapprove of those who are reckless on the roads. Driving is a task that requires a lot of focus and attention.”
