Drivers urged to take care when travelling to break their fast

ABU DHABI // People fasting for Ramadan are being urged to take extra care on the roads as tired and hungry drivers increase the risk of crashes.

The annual problem of road-traffic incidents caused by motorists rushing home to break their fast has prompted Abu Dhabi Police to launch a road-safety campaign that will run throughout the holy month.

Police said that between 2009 and 2012, most road accidents during the Ramadan took place between 1pm and 5pm – when people are travelling home for iftar – and between 11pm and midnight.

Statistics from the Traffic Coordination Department at the Ministry of Interior showed that there were 119 crashes during Ramadan last year, down from 147 in 2012. However, they resulted in 28 deaths, compared with 21 in 2012.

Brig Hussain Al Harthi, the director of Abu Dhabi’s traffic and patrols directorate, urged motorists to be patient and considerate towards other road users.

He said the main type of road accidents during Ramadan were collisions, followed by pedestrians being knocked down, and swerving.

The main causes, he said, were lack of attention, sudden lane changes, speeding, running red lights, tailgating, entering a main road without checking whether it was clear and burst tyres.

Under the “Your Safety” campaign, Brig Al Harthi called on drivers to abide by speed limits, leave enough space between vehicles, give priority to pedestrians, use seat belts, avoid using mobile phones while driving and pay attention.

As part of the campaign, information leaflets will be distributed to drivers and Friday sermons will caution against road-safety offences.

This week marks the start of another campaign – “Ramadan Road Safety” – which is being launched by Road Safety UAE to raise awareness of the need to wear seat belts, and avoid speeding and tailgating.

Founder Thomas Edelmann said the pre-iftar rush was a “mix of psychological urges and physical needs, and motorists might use this as an excuse to misbehave”.

“Motorists must realise that even if they are late for a Ramadan event, people will understand,” he said. “Time management is vital and motorists are urged to leave early enough and allow buffer time to reach their destination on time.”

Abdus Salam, an operations manager at Al Bader Exchange who has lived in Abu Dhabi for 20 years, said he had seen several accidents during Ramadan over the years.

“Ramadan is usually a challenging time to remain safe on the road, more especially when it falls during the summer,” he said. “In front of me at an Electra Street junction in Abu Dhabi, a guy jumped the red signal and had a tragic accident.

“It happened exactly before breaking the fast. The car was totally damaged while family members were inside. It involved three other cars but luckily my car escaped the accident as I stopped at the red light.”

“Reckless driving and speeding are common during Ramadan,” said Ayed Masalmeh, 58, the general manager of a building company in Abu Dhabi.

“People are all in a hurry, either to buy groceries or to get home to break their fast.”

It all boils down to proper time management, he said.

“Why can’t people buy their food supplies a week in advance,” he said. “I often keep a bottle of water and some dates in my car during long drives.

“Last year, an accident caused heavy congestion on Mussaffah road and it was due to speeding. A pregnant woman gave birth inside the car.”

He recalled another incident that happened at about 11pm during Ramadan. “During this period roads in the city become very crowded as people finish taraweeh prayers and rush for shopping,” he said. “The car flipped over and the motorist was seriously injured.”

To ease traffic flow, lorries will not be allowed to enter the cities of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain between 7.30am and 9.30am, and from 1.30pm to 3.30pm during Ramadan.

rruiz@thenational.ae

anwar@thenational.ae