Most of us have a habit of saying a little orison before taking our vehicle out for a spin. Some might mumble their religious sayings over and over again if you have noticed. But for me, I take a deep breath. All thanks to the government for giving me an opportunity to drive in the UAE for 16 years after getting my licence on the first try. 

Despite many stringent traffic laws put in place with hidden cameras and hi-tech scary cameras for some, it’s like an “object”. The habit of speeding and reckless driving has never paused. Personally, it’s not the roads that are dangerous but the motorists.

You can drive chic but not over chich and cheeky thinking that others are halfwits. Sadly, some of the neighbours have the habit of even speeding in basement parking so try to reckon on highways and I am waiting for an opportunity to reprimand them.

At the outset minivans, lorries, and heavy trucks should be banned during the wee hours. Immediate attention and surprise checks on the roads by the Dubai Police are mandated with strict enforcement of fines for those who are a nuisance on the roads.

The roads these days are even seen with many bike drivers who are a danger to motorists whilst they zoom to earn their little bread and butter. At times I see vehicles race and compete for their engine capacity. 

Apparently — “Common sense is a sense which is not so common.” Majority of the accidents are caused due to human error which leads to mishaps. Domiciled here for 40 years I awe if rules are unique for certain sorts of motorists and classes of vehicles.

Luckily, I drive a smart V6 so it’s not easy to mess with it as my full focus is on the road with eye movements left and right listening to some of my favourite hot numbers on the radio so I don’t get pierced whilst I am on the busy roads stuck in traffic. These incidents we read and see should be a wake-up call for all those naive, impatient motorists who have no respect for themselves and for others.

Mathew Litty — Dubai