Forty two families in Dubai alone mourned the loss of their loved ones last year because they died due to distracted driving. That’s 42 lives too many lost for a reason that was entirely avoidable. One of the biggest causes of distracted driving is the use of mobile phones in cars.
The rising statistics of traffic fines and fatalities due to this is on the verge of becoming a societal malaise. Last year, Dubai Police recorded 59,891 cases of people using phones while driving, an increase from 49,643 in 2015.
In 2014, police recorded 45,499 such offences while in 2013, the figure stood at 35,734. There can no greater indictment of the human capacity for self-delusion than the fact that people believe they can abuse, subjugate or misunderstand the role of technology in their lives, and not suffer from the consequences.
Even as experts of all stripes warn us about the dangers of distracted driving, even as numerous and continual awareness campaigns are launched year after year by the authorities and statistics of fatalities and injuries scream out in daily headlines, the technology addicts continue to nurture the whimsy that they are not the intended targets of this good advice. This arrogance, or foolishness, as the case may be, is what needs to be banished if we are to witness this tide of woe recede.
While the argument that making the penalties more stiff — a Dh1,000 fine, 12 black points and impounding of the vehicle for 30 days, as opposed to the current fine of Dh200 and four black points, which is being considered by authorities in Dubai — holds merit, it does not guarantee that respect for life and limb will triumph over carelessness. When has the fear of being fined stopped people from taking risks? Reread the numbers above to realise that penalties are not a panacea.
So where do we go from here? As youth and adults both vie for the blame in using mobile phones while driving, we must look for some lateral solutions and the efforts of the Dubai authorities in educating children on road safety through various initiatives bear a special mention.
Children make for formidable agents of change. Ask those parents who have learnt to switch off the lights as they leave a room or turn off the tap while shaving. Maybe it is the generation of tomorrow that will teach the people of today about getting their priorities right.
