Follow traffic rules

Despite adequate traffic laws being put in place in the UAE, many motorists do not adhere to it.  It’s not the roads that are dangerous but the attitude of the drivers (“Abu Dhabi Police warn of risks posed by bad tyres to safety of road users,” June 4, Gulf Today).

Most of them do not know pay attention as the main cause of accidents is due to their carelessness. The traffic these days has eased as schools are shut and not many motorists are seen on the roads.  But we see a lot of minivans, lorries and truck drivers commuting during peak hours. And I have witnessed some of these drivers tailgating on highways. Taxi drivers too are guilty of doing so. Now that the summer is here, we will witness more vehicles suffering breakdowns and motorists getting agitated and impatient. But it is important to understand that roads are not playgrounds or a place to release stress and anger.

Creating awareness is good but there needs to be strict enforcement of rules especially for heavy vehicles.  Timings have been set up but some of them don’t adhere to these. The rise in accidents should be a wake-up call for arrogant, reckless motorists who seem to have no respect for themselves and for others.  At times I feel I should sell off my vehicle and use public transport.

The police should continue doing surprise checks and punish the errant drivers. Until safety returns of our roads, we will continue to lose the lives of our family members, our friends, and our workmates.

Mathew Litty — By email