Ensuring road safety with a radiant smile

Dubai: Those who believe that radars, traffic signals, and road rules are the only form of traffic regulation should think again.

Traffic officers and patrol units are present round the clock to make sure that traffic flows smoothly — even during the scorching summer heat and during the fasting period of Ramadan.

Under the summer sun, Salah Al Deen Mohammad stands giving directions to motorists. The 34-year-old traffic police officer has been with the force for over 18 years, but as a traffic regulator for the past three years.

He spends around eight hours roaming the roads responding to directions from the police operations room.

One thing that distinguishes Mohammad from his colleagues is his radiant smile, which, according to his supervisor, hardly ever leaves his face.

"Even at the end of a long working day in the heat, you will find him smiling to every passing motorist," said Captain Ali Mohammad Al Bedwawi, director of the Traffic Patrol Units Department of Dubai Police.

The Yemeni traffic regulator describes his job as a blessing because "I contribute in making motorists' lives easier. Maybe sometimes they don't notice it but in peak hours we ensure motorists don't violate rules and follow the flow of traffic."

At 8am in the morning he stands for around two hours at Al Shindagha Tunnel to regulate the traffic and at around 2pm close to the Al Ittihad interchange.

Last year he handled the shift that covers the period around iftar time, where he had to break his fast while regulating the traffic.

Many drivers ignore basic road regulations such as driving under the speed limit, stopping at red lights and avoiding dangerous overtaking. These violations increase close to the Maghrib (sunset) prayers.

"It is tiring and hectic but it is my job. It's what I wake up for everyday. And if it helps to regulate the traffic and curb violations then it is worth it," Mohammad said.

Breathing problems

When the heat caused minor breathing difficulties, Mohammad's motor bike was replaced with a car.

One of the incidents that lifted his spirits, he said, was when "an old man stopped his car next to me saying ‘thank you.' I asked him whether everything is alright with him. He looked at me and said thank you for standing here in the midst of the summer heat with a smile."