As I prise open my eyes and open the blinds, where normally I see the surrounding skyscrapers of Dubai Marina, I see nothing except dense, grey murkiness. Fog has enveloped the entire area, which means no driving until it clears up.
My absolute refusal to drive in foggy conditions has nothing to do with an inability to adjust my own driving manner while visibility is poor, but everything to do with the fact that many other road users seem to carry on as though they can see for kilometres. Foot down, flat out, lane swerving, hard braking, hazard-light flashing and, often, crashing – I deem it not worth the risk sharing the roads with these individuals. Wherever I need to get or whatever I need to do can wait.
So it was with keen interest I read about proposals to make fog lamps compulsory on all cars, to try to stem the bloodshed and huge associated costs whenever the thick fog we’re so often subjected to here makes an appearance. Surely the piercing glare of a fog lamp will help everyone see other motorists – and help avert disaster. Well, I’m not so sure.
Fog lamps are standard equipment on practically every new car sold anywhere in the world, including here. The ones at the fronts of cars are normally situated low down in the bumper area, so that they can illuminate the way ahead by shining an otherwise blinding light underneath the fog, which tends to hover just above the ground. The lamps at the rears of cars are usually placed higher up, designed to penetrate the hanging moisture with powerful red beams to alert other road users that they’re behind another vehicle. From what I have seen in the five years I have lived here, nobody has any problem finding the “on” buttons.
In foggy conditions, I have observed motorists keeping to their normal speeds (which are usually just below the limit that they know the speed cameras are set to), but with their hazard lights activated. In a sea of fog, the effect, with hundreds of drivers electing to do the same thing, is akin to being in a nightclub filled with dry ice. You still can’t see a thing, but hey, aren’t those pretty lights mesmerising?
If we’re serious about reducing the number of serious accidents and traffic-related deaths here, more-drastic action needs to be taken. I’ve heard it said that, with so many different nationalities sharing the same road space, it’s pointless trying to change people’s driving habits, but surely the law is the law, and should be implemented with an almost draconian authority no matter who the transgressors are or where they’re from.
If you have illegal tints on your car’s windows, you’re not going to see much of anything, whether or not fog lights are in use. And if you’re driving at 138kph, you’re not going to stop in time when you eventually see that queue of traffic ahead.
One of the best ways to get people to change their driving habits in most parts of the world is to hit them where it hurts: in their pockets. But here, knowing that a police patrol car is likely to be tucked away behind the nearest tree or road sign might just do the trick. Upset the cops with your driving, and perhaps you could end up spending a couple of days in the cells – that’s serious stuff, but I can assure you that as a deterrent, it will work, come rain, shine, hail or fog.
motoring@thenational.ae
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