How many times have you seen or at least passed by an ambulance? Well, at least once in your life. Did you know that few of these ambulances do not reach their respective destination at the right time and that the result of that can potentially be death? When I sit in my balcony, I notice how a lot of cars just pass by and don’t give way to the ambulance that saves people’s life. Does this mean that these drivers are reckless? Or is it just bad manners or driving habits?
Though a lot of people try to show respect and want to help, they might be limited as they do not have much room to move on the road due to other drivers or traffic.
According to a UK report from 2014, only three out of 32 ambulance calls are answered in London. The clinical handover process by which an ambulance delivers a patient to the Emergency Department is crucial and must be done as soon as possible.
In Dubai like any other big city, roads are filled with traffic, especially during peak hours of the day. I see the extent to which some people do not even bother to move their car to the side in order to give way for the ambulance. In my neighbourhood, I have seen many selfless people who do everything they can to save others by taking sharp turns, or climbing the pavements. At the same time, there are also people who are quite the opposite.
I, myself, have witnessed a couple of accidents and have not seen the ambulance arriving on time due to traffic that blocks the path. In my view, we need to spread more awareness on the importance of giving way in order to understand and strictly follow the policies on road.
— The reader is a student based in Dubai
