ABU DHABI // Young male Emirati drivers called yesterday for improved driving education and welcomed a tougher traffic-law enforcement regime, after a study found that nearly half of them admitted to dangerous behaviour behind the wheel.
The research indicates that young Emiratis' attitudes, values and response to peer pressure may be behind the high number of traffic accidents, injuries and road deaths.
The study, sponsored by the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy and conducted by United Arab Emirates University, surveyed 576 drivers aged 18 to 33, in three groups: Arab expatriates, Emirati men and Emirati women.
Up to 50 per cent of Emirati male drivers said they engaged in risky behaviour such as not wearing a seat belt or driving on the wrong side of the road. Up to a quarter said they engaged in dangerous behaviour such as speeding or sudden lane-changing and cutting in.
Nearly 60 per cent of those surveyed said they started driving before the legal age of 18. The Middle East Road Safety conference in Abu Dhabi last month heard that most victims of road accidents were young Emiratis.
Greater focus should be placed on education, Yasser al Dhaheri, a 23-year-old driver from Al Ain, said yesterday. "People memorise the location of the radars on the roads," he said.
"And thanks to the technology, we can save the location of radars on our GPS. The most effective method is raising awareness.
"People in high school should be given more attention, because it is during this time that their personalities are shaped - and they tend to think of driving behaviour as traits of personality."
Another young driver, Ahmed al Refai, a 22-year-old student from Ras al Khaimah, said: "The new fining system is the best deterrent. It's excellent. I used to know people driving their cars at 200kph and now they are more careful because of this tougher and stricter system."
mismail@thenational.ae
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
