How is Qatar doing?
Emirati males admit: "we speed, tailgate, and overtake expats"
Nearly two thirds of Emirati males polled admitted being involved in one or more car crashes.
More than a quarter of young Emirati males admit to reckless driving behaviours such as speeding, tailgating and illegally overtaking other drivers, a survey has revealed.
A poll of 466 Emirati men aged between 18-33 showed more than half don’t wear a seatbelt, talk on their mobile phone while driving and drive the wrong way down one-way streets.
Around 2.6 percent admit to consistently jumping red lights, the survey by 98 students at UAE University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences said, in a report posted on state-run news agency WAM.
A minority admitted they are strongly tempted to overtake if their car is fancier than the vehicle in front, while 16 percent said they will overtake if the driver in front is an expatriate or from another emirate.
“[This] is a behaviour scientists call ‘territoriality’,” the report said.
Partly to blame is the culture of praise among Emirati males for risk-taking behaviour – and for not being punished for it, the university team said.
“Tailgating – approaching cars at high speed, flashing lights to budge cars out the way – is seen as respected behaviour among many Emirati young males, as is obtaining reductions in traffic fines,” the report said.
By contrast, abiding by traffic laws is seen as “unmanly or cowardly” and a characteristic of an unskilled driver, the poll showed.
The UAE has one of the highest rates of road deaths in the world. The rate of traffic fatalities per 1,000 population in Abu Dhabi outstrips that seen in Africa, the US and the EU, according to data on the emirate’s Health Authority’s website.
In 2008, nearly 70 percent of injury deaths in the capital were caused by road traffic accidents.
Unsurprisingly, nearly two thirds of Emirati males admitted being involved in one or more car crashes, with more than a quarter suffering injuries.
The report, which also polled 52 Emirati women and 60 Arab expatriates in the UAE, found that illegal driving practices among nationals began early.
Nearly 60 percent of respondents in the three groups said they started driving surreptitiously, or with parental permission, before the legal age of 18.
More than seven percent began driving between the ages of 8 and 12-years, and more than half – 52 percent – were regularly behind a wheel between the ages of 13 and 17-years.
An estimated three quarters of traffic accidents in the UAE are caused by human fault rather than car or road conditions, flagging an urgent need for better education of drivers.
“Changing the attitudes, beliefs and values that are behind reckless driving is not going to be easy or quick,” said Dr Taha Amir, who oversaw the study.
It's not going to be easy????? Especially when little or nothing is being done!
More roads and better roads. :)
Aye Aye pilgram, I guess they have more roads in the UAE than here!
After 2 weeks here in Abu Dhabi I can say that so far the driving here is WAYYYYYY better than in Qatar. I've only had one near miss, as opposed to one a day or more!
But I have to agree with the article, especially here in the UAE a lot of it is showing off and territorial. Dubai Emirati's trying to show that they're "better" drivers than Abu Dhabi Emirati's, Fujarah vs. Sharjah vs. Ras Al Khaimah, etc. And it's not just in driving.
"It’s actually caused by their insignificant unmanly low self esteem that can only be temporarily alleviated when they are cowardly protected inside their big cars and threaten others."
I have long held this belief. Rarely do I get aggresively tailgated by anyone other than an ignorant, arrogant, irresponsible national in a large powerful vehicle than he is using to compensate for his insecurity, low self esteem, lack of respect amongst the expat population, his wife and in all probability his small endowment.
When I witness a totalled Land Cruiser on the side of the road I must admit to a small smile - thats just me and I know its a character flaw (I make NO apology)but its a whole lot less a character flaw than driving like a mentalist with your wife and young family by your side.
What goes around comes around. If they belief that "...its his day ..." blah blh blah - thats fine, each to his or her own - but dont take me and my family with you - we have more respect and yearning for more life than you clearly do.
To young nationals on the road - Grow the f+ck up and grow a pair......
Qatar is not far behind... and not only for local.. i experienced a lot from taxi drivers karwa for using mobile while driving too..
Sobbering stats linc. When put this way, Qatar becomes one of the most dangerous places in the world. Sure, you probably won't get robbed but some moron will murder you with his Land Cruiser. Vehicular murder in Qatar accounts for a higher percentage of deaths in Qatar than heart-related illnesses and attacks do in the US.
the laws exist but enforcement of these laws in real terms are only on the expatriates. most of the times locals get away using their clout in the police department except in serious cases like deaths or disabilities..
the local population is less considering the area and they either dont work, being some distant relatives of the royal family, are sleeping partners in businesses or hold government positions. in any of these cases, they can get away using their high level contacts. so, they dont care.
Driving requires intelligence. People here drive like animals. It matches their intellectual capabilities.
Simple...impound their vehicles and ban them from driving.
If violated deportation/prison.
Fair enough, ex.ex., but then someone needs to take greater responsibility in training and licensing expat drivers. I am guessing that most fatal accidents involving Indians behind the wheel occur when they are working--i.e. driving a giant truck--so maybe the employer needs to be held more accountable for his employees' driving.
I also see recklessness resulting in death as culpable behaviour and wish the penalties were stricter. I do think that is a big problem among the Qatari male population between 18-45. On the other hand, I don't see the same attitude among Indians who are bad drivers. In that case I think it is more an issue of lack of experience rather than ego (which I think is the motivator for Qatari reckless drivers).
As a comparative reference to the statistics posted by Genesis from the Gulf Times:
In 2002, according to the WHO, the global average was the 2 percent of all deaths were a result of automobile accidents.
In the United States, which has a car ownership rate similar to Qatar, the rate was 1.6 percent of all death recorded in 2007.
So for those of us (me included) who rant on about how safe Qatar is, keep these statistics in mind: you are far, far, far, far more likely to be killed by a reckless driver in Qatar than you are to be murdered by a criminal in the United States, Canada, or United Kingdom (or any other part of the EU).
The statistics for Qatar are alarming. Personally, I see death caused by reckless driving as a form of murder, as do many criminal justice systems in countries with substantially lower death rates by automobile. That the killers and victims were almost exclusively male and disproportionately Qatari and Indian, should give a clear indication to authorities of whose attitudes need the most change.
Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/NCHS/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_19.pdf
Genesis,
The results of what the local authorities "try hard", reveals the level of their competences! for god sake, there is a real problem and all they can come up with is poor lousy shopping mall campaigns, invisible silly awareness little panels and radar cameras where all slow down just before and accelerate like madmen just after!
The driving attitude of this region is precisely the contrary of what they like to claim. It’s actually caused by their insignificant unmanly low self esteem that can only be temporarily alleviated when they are cowardly protected inside their big cars and threaten others. These cowards are nothing, often fragile beings, once they step out of their big land cruisers. It is proven that it’s not about being manly to be an aggressor driver, it’s rather the opposite: insecurity and frustrated souls, actually Behave the way they do!
How can you possibly expect law enforcement when so many uniformed officers driving their own cars are also top offenders? I have checked the plates on line of some (cops off duty) that I witnessed recklessly driving and their records of fines are abnormally high! What punishment they get with these records?
Nothing! Perhaps a promotion if they know the right person.
Exactly what Linc wrote above, there is just no real will to change!
Nobody really cares about nothing in this country, unless it’s flashy and can be admired by others!
No one can be environmentally friendly here (what the heck is that in Qatar?!) and drive a small car as the somany uneducated drivers in Qatar (not only Qataris, we should note) can drive as if they were in the wild far west, actually it is the wild middle east!
total of 19.2% of all deaths in Qatar in 2010 was due to traffic accidents, with 226 people losing their lives on the roads
Al Mamoura, lying on the fringes of Abu Hamour, Mesaimeer and Salwa Road, emerged as the deadliest zone in Qatar with a total of 52 deaths.
Of the total deaths, 47 were Qataris (20.4%), 36 Arabs (15.9%), six GCC citizens (2.7%) and 136 non-Arab expatriates (61.1%).
At least 72% of Qataris who died on the road (34 of the total 47) were behind the wheels and not passengers. Among the expatriates, the highest number of deaths was recorded in the Nepalese community (51), followed by Indians (31).
Pedestrians accounted for 32.3% of total deaths. The global average is 17%.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=412395&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56
I have encountered a couple of reckless drivers recently and took note of their plate numbers. A quick check on the MOI website revealed a long list of traffic violations/fines and point deductions.
While It can take alot of effort on the part of the authorities to track and pin them down, impounding these vehicles is one way of clearing Qatar roads of these misfits.
genesis that was my first week in Qatar, 22 months ago.. Remember that incident well.. really sad and entirely avoidable.
Good post, Genesis.
If people are serious about curbing reckless driving, the way forward is severe penalties. Not simply fines, but lengthy suspension of licenses, jail time, etc. The United States severely cut down its problem of drunken driving in the 1980s and early 1990s with a series of draconian measures accompanied by awareness campaigns. Deregulating the insurance system would also help, as private insurance companies would not be willing to insure proven dangerous drivers.
All of this would, of course, require a great will for change, and my sense is that it is not yet there.
My own policy is to drive/ride in an enormous vehicle, limit night driving, exercise personal safety, and avoid roads without a median separating oncoming traffic.
seem to care, full stop!
n/a
Almost two years ago, our country lost one of its prominent leaders due to reckless driving.
Qatar's Commerce and Business Minister, Sheikh Fahad Bin Jassim Al Thani, was killed in a traffic accident when a Land Cruiser coming in the opposite direction collided with Sheikh Fahad's vehicle.
Sheikh Fahad was just 40 when he died.
like in every funeral, people repeated "it's his day" & "it's god's will" without really discussing the root cause of the fatal accident which was the recklessness of two guys who were racing on the short highway leading to Al Wakra
on 30th November 2010, the court verdict was an year in prison for the accused.
frankly speaking, in the past five years traffic department have tried extensively in different ways to reduce traffic accidents whether through enforcing traffic violation fines ( which many qataris presume is a government taxation to deprive them from their rentier rights)or through awareness campaigns which is conducted periodically at shopping malls featuring popular religious figures & TV promos
it's important to highlight that reckless driving is mostly common among the less educated, which unfortunately are not a minority of the total young local population :(
they must bring Qatarization in police department.
Driving in Qatar is so interesting. It keeps your blood pumping. really a good way to keep your body warm in this cold climate.
It's futile to discuss this here and any where, Only one can hope that one's chance doesn't come up in this Russian Roulette.
Driving in Qatar is MUCH worse than in UAE, although I am not sure to the extent to which nationals are to blame. The little Toyota pick-ups with five guys piled in it are the worst vehicles on the road in my experience.
I agree with the article that the macho factor is a big part of the problem.
Qatar is worse than UAE.
the Karwa drivers are VILE. They drive as if they own all roads...no consideration of other drivers, very little consideration of traffic rules...well, except those that could impose a fine upon them. Those they know and follow when needed.
...and here I was waiting impatiently to get my RP so I can drive.
Rethink, rethink... :-/
or will to speak passionately about the issue. Because of the insular nature of these societies and the growing resentment towards expats for many of them, it is easy to counter every argument with "It's our culture", especially when you read all about how hard they are trying to preserve their culture in light of so much outside influence. In fighting a civilized road culture, which many view as a Western innovation, they are cutting of their noses to spite their faces. But it wouldn't be the first... or last ... time.
So we, poor expatriates, are unmanly cowards for following Traffic Rules, Alas!!
I just used Cntrl F - Contrl R for Emirate to Qatar and it's so true.
What I saw, oflate-
1. So many mobile phone talks whiling driving, scary!!!!
2. Honestly, there is no urgency but everyone, it seems, is in emergency.
3. It's not one nationality but almost all are involved in traffic rule violating, majorly owners of BIG cars (now who owns big cars :-)
KHATTAK,
In a short sentence, you summarized the root cause of the problem. Perhaps it would be useful to inform DOCTOR Taha Amir of this hidden factor.
ex.expat...the cops have the power to pull over & arrest 'people' but not 'The People' :(
ex.ex.expat,
It reads like that when you keep saying it will take time and effort to change (big deal, we all know that!) without presenting any action plan whatsoever!
I mean, he could have pin pointed a few measures that are either under planning or being implemented! No, that would be acting too fast for such an unimportant cultural feature - that's how this behavior is presented and that’s why it’s tolerated! We have to respect the local culture!
zzzzzzzzzzzz how fast local authorities react effectively zzzzzzzz!
But I agree it does take the sense of urgency out of the issue. I know many adult Qataris who are so frustrated by the attitudes of the youth with regard to driving, work and money. I think the Dr. Amir was probably responding in that manner.
The thing is they could do a lot if they wanted to put cops on the road with the power to pull people over and arrest them. :(
how sad;
but what is the brand of the car in the picture?
I think BMW X5, isn't it?
ex.ex.expat, the attitude in the GCC is still:
“Changing the attitudes, beliefs and values that are behind reckless driving is not going to be easy or quick,”
It almost reads as:
"oh well its too much work and we are too lazy and unskilled, to establish an adequate and effective campaign to carefully target the identified violators... too much trouble, inchala' one day things will change!!!!!!!"
qatar doing very good bt 2much traffic so nt this good
It would be interesting to see what percentage of locals are involved in major accidents resulting in death or serious injury. With such a small percentage of the local population compared to expats in the UAE and Qatar, it could help to better pinpoint the target audience for road safety campaigns and better policing.
what's new?
well Qatar not far behind :(
A very sobering insight.
Mandi
just read this same topic from another website. actually that"unmanly or cowardly" statement, i have heard that from a local before.
to my dhanno - no tailgating no overtaking :(
WK,
Yup, that's a pearl that deserved to be highlighted... it says a lot about the authors ;)
abiding by traffic laws is seen as “unmanly or cowardly” and a characteristic of an unskilled driver
So true, even here.
Apologies, I forgot to include the source, here it is:
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/emirati-males-admit-we-speed-tailgate--overtake-expats--376434.html