Start young to change the way UAE drives

A reader says the way to improve driving conditions is to educate drivers young. Other topics: Indian election, Nepalese charity and penguins in love.

A reader says improving road safety means educating children before they drive. Photo: Courtesy Security Media

With regard to Ayesha Almazroui's opinion piece (Bad driving is bad driving, except when it isn't, February 9), I have just returned to Australia after living in Al Ain for six years.

I loved living in the UAE but as an adviser working for the Abu Dhabi Education Council, I was on the roads daily, visiting schools all over the city and in the desert. Each afternoon, I would let out a huge sigh of relief when I returned home safely.

I now drive in Queensland, where there are much busier highways but my immediate impression is that the vast majority of drivers do not speed – 20 kph over the speed limit is not allowed – indicate when changing lanes, are generally patient and do not tailgate, flash their headlights, or honk the horn.

There are always exceptions, of course, but speeding is the exception here. It is not the norm.

I wonder how driving practices in the UAE went so wrong? Where did the aggressive and arrogant attitude come from?

I do not believe ADHD is the reason. This is not why there is arrogance and aggression on the roads. Instead of finding excuses, we need to find workable solutions for the UAE and these must start with young people, even before they start driving.

It is difficult to change attitudes that have been allowed to set in. But you can work on those who are yet to be drivers.

Jenny Campbell, Australia

It would help if those who comment on this article read it first. The author makes a salient point that there is a lack of mental health data in the UAE.

The terrible driving culture is intolerable and inexcusable, but a survey would be interesting. It would help identify and treat mental health disorders that contribute to the problem.

Paul O Driscoll, UK

I do not approve of blaming bad driving on diseases and disorders.

Recently we were told that it was diabetic drivers who were getting into accidents and now you report that it is the ADHD-afflicted. What illness is next? Arthritis? Chronic fatigue? Gastritis? The main cause of accidents on UAE roads is speeding and reckless driving, not disease.

Dambar Basnet, Abu Dhabi

BJP spurned for overconfidence

Your story, Anti -Graft party scores landslide win in Delhi (February 11), indicates the confidence that the people of Delhi feel towards the anti-corruption Aam Aadmi (common man) Party.

The Bharatiya Janata Party was overconfident and underestimated the opposition caused by failing to do things such as implement women’s safety laws.

The BJP is not reaching the common man, which I think is the main reason for this defeat.

This result is a wake-up call for all political parties about never underestimating people power.

K Ragavan, India

Nepalese charity an inspiring tale

With regard to your story, UAE mothers raise money to build school for Nepalese children (February 11), I wish these women the best of luck in their endeavour.

During a recent trip to Nepal, we recently visited a school in a remote village outside Kathmandu and donated directly. Many of the children were orphans but I suspected that the money given to charities would never reach them.

Winter was coming but most of the children didn’t even have shoes. The small donation we made enabled the administrators to buy new shoes, clothing and school material for almost a hundred students. The principal sent us photographs to show what our money had achieved.

A few hundred dollars was only a little bit of money for us but it went a long way in Nepal.

Name withheld by request

I would like to thank these women.

Nepal has so many natural resources but we are poor because of our corrupt leaders.

Dambar Basnet, Abu Dhabi

I salute these women for raising funds for deprived Nepalese schoolchildren.

I wish them luck in their future endeavours and hope they all enjoy even more success.

Lokendra Rai, Dubai

A rock to show a penguin in love

Your news article, Penguin proposes at Ski Dubai, just in time for Valentine's Day (February 11), omits an important point: did she accept?

Jo Alf, Dubai

How cute is this? I will have to take myself to see these penguins.

Sammy Constance, Abu Dhabi

I was banking on this being Tiffany and company pebbles.

Dambar Basnet, Abu Dhabi