Kechil versus Cowell

For Adam Kechil, TV presenter of In Gear, a weekly motoring show based in the UAE, the journey on the road has many similarities to the journey of life. He tells Vibhuti Arora that it is about expecting the unexpected.

Being compared to Simon Cowell may not be everybody's idea of a compliment but Adam Kechil doesn't seem to mind it.

The similarities in approach when analysing contestants is evident. Adam, like Simon, is unsparingly blunt. He offers honest criticism buttressed with witty remarks.

As the presenter of the UAE-based In Gear, a weekly motoring show that promotes road safety and reviews cars and motorbikes, he utilises his experience as a driver trainer and instructor. In the UK, he worked within the "driver training" profile as a government examiner, where he taught defensive driving to instructors from driving schools and conducted examiner training.

As a result, he was constantly asked for his opinion on international driving standards and how they could be introduced through TV documentaries and news broadcasts.

His first foray into television was seven years ago. He says, "Television always found me. In the UK, I was offered the position of a judge on a reality series called Britain's Worst Driver. Then City 7 TV in Dubai presented me with
an opportunity to conceptualise a motoring programme for this region.

I am also the director of training at a reputed driving school in Dubai." Adam considers himself lucky to have managed to carve a successful career out of his passion. And lucky to have worked with professionals in his field like Quinten Wilson of Top Gear and Vicky Butler-Henderson of
Fifth Gear.

His fondness for cars and driving led to the decision to train as a driving instructor. Though he dropped out of school, he went on to earn a diploma in business management and is currently registered with Middlesex University to obtain a doctorate in the psychology of teaching and learning related to the driving profession. Unsurprisingly, he feels strongly about road safety.

He says the way people drive has less to do with ethnicity and more to do with the way their host countries perceive road safety. "It is about education. An individual who has been educated on road safety will observe safety rules regardless of where he is from."

According to him, driving in a multicultural place like the UAE can be challenging because some people are from countries that have less developed road systems.

"It explains why expatriates from places where training has been minimal have difficulty coping with a sophisticated road system and a car that is more powerful than they have experienced before," he says.

In addition, he attributes bad driving to insufficient training on the part of driving schools. He says, "Driving schools need to have the right expertise to graduate properly trained students.
It is pointless taking materials for a driving course without comprehending the mechanics of teaching or implementing it correctly."

I

I am very serious about road safety. It is the cause that drives me. Good driving training goes a long way in avoiding mishaps on the road and saving lives. As a trainer I believe I have a major role to play.

The media reports on deaths caused by disease and aviation disasters, even though millions die in car crashes. Car crashes are termed as accidents. An accident is knocking over a glass, not a car crash! Do you know that the safest roads in the world are in the UK? Until recently it used to be Sweden. (Road safety is measured by the number of fatalities per 100,000 people.)

I am passionate about cars. I love them. They need to be enjoyed by driving them safely. I love the Hummer H2.

I have driven fast cars on race circuits in the UK, but you can only drive a car to its full potential when you are in a safe environment. I am excited when I get to drive a top-of-the-range car so I can give an honest review.

I like to entertain at social gatherings and see people laugh. Laughing is therapeutic for me as well as for people around me. I laugh about stupid things in life, which explains why I like Laurel and Hardy.

I would like to emphasise my safety campaign as much as I can. It is called MSM (Mirror, Signal and Manoeuvre).

It is important to observe what is happening behind you before you decide what to do. Signalling is something that isn't explained enough in driving schools. A driver should signal to benefit another road user. They can only do this if they actively look, which in turn means they need to use the mirrors. When they carry out the manoeuvre it should always be under safe conditions.

I try to get to my destinations stress-free. My advice for a stress-free and happy morning trip is leave early! Look at the clock in your car and know that no matter how slow the traffic is, you are not going to be late.

It is important to beat stress. Fitness through workouts like Body Combat or Body Attack help me focus and connect with myself. I also drive on a track to unwind.

Me

Me and my family

Familial relations haven't been as satisfactory as I would have liked them to be. I believe that everyone should make time for loved ones no matter what. It is the foundation for a great family life. I miss not being with my parents; they are old and frail now, and I am far from them.

Me and my growing up years

Growing up in Liverpool in the '80s was tough! It had a bad reputation for crime. The fact that I am of Arab descent (Yemeni) meant that I looked different.

Racism was more rampant then. The crime rate spurred me on to take up self-defence classes. I received four black belts as well as five UK kickboxing championship and two world middleweight championship tittles.

Me and my show

In Gear is about the automotive industry in relation to the Middle East. We review cars in a simple language that can be understood by the average person.

In addition, we review dealerships and provide advice on buying new and used cars.

We promote road safety as much as we can. I love being recognised for the right reasons. Not for being a television personality, but for being a campaigner to reduce the number of traffic-related deaths in the country. I thoroughly enjoy the work I do. It makes me get up early every morning as I look forward to the day's challenges.

Me and my philosophy in life

Learning never stops. Life is about implementing what we have learnt. We learn even from a bad experience.

Myself

Do you believe in fate? What helped you make the decisions leading to this point?

We are all responsible for how we live our lives. I believe in God and that we must live our lives the best way possible.

Having worked for a company that took my thesis set me back in my personal goals. However, I put that behind me and resubmitted my work to the university.

Nobody understood why I didn't fight to get my research material back. I believe good and bad deeds are dealt with at a higher level.

I also believe life is cyclical when it comes to our deeds; whatever we do comes back to us. It's like saying for every action there is a reaction.

What would you call the seminal moments of your life?

The birth of my son and winning my first world championship. I won the World Middleweight Championship when I was 25. Though that was 18 years ago, I can still feel the excitement and elation of that momentous victory.

What do you consider one of your biggest achievements?

Running the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon at my age! I train regularly and enjoy following a fitness routine. It was probably this discipline that helped me run the marathon and do fairly well at that.

What analogy do you draw from a journey on the road and life's journey? What are the similarities and differences?

Expect the unexpected and try to be prepared for what comes next. Once you have experienced something new, learn from it and help others.