Ali Ahmad, 23, obtained his licence at age 18 and said he wished he had received more on-road experience. Satish Kumar / The National
Ali Ahmad, 23, obtained his licence at age 18 and said he wished he had received more on-road experience. Satish Kumar / The National
Ali Ahmad, 23, obtained his licence at age 18 and said he wished he had received more on-road experience. Satish Kumar / The National
Ali Ahmad, 23, obtained his licence at age 18 and said he wished he had received more on-road experience. Satish Kumar / The National

Call for restrictions on young drivers - ban night driving and powerful cars


  • English
  • Arabic

ABU DHABI // Young drivers should be restricted to driving in daylight only, under supervision and in less powerful cars, road safety experts say.

A probationary licence for newly qualified young motorists would help to keep them and other drivers safer, said Robert Hodges, chief operating officer at Emirates Driving Institute.

“New drivers are always vulnerable for the first six months to two years of their post-licence period,” Mr Hodges said.

“Young drivers are also always more at risk due to attitude, and in most cases the brains of those under the age of 24 and 25 have not fully matured.”

Mr Hodges suggested a three-stage licence for those between 18 and 24, similar to those issued in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and many US states.

Young drivers must have a restricted licence for the first year, which would be extended for another 12 months if they have no accidents.

At the end of that, the driver must pass a safety check to allow a new licence to be issued for another two years.

The second licence would have no restrictions on night-time driving or peer groups, but cars would be limited to 2.5-litre engines. The driver can then apply for a full licence to be issued for the next six years.

If any major crash occurred in the previous two years, an extra probationary year would be required, with another safety check test at the end.

“This seems harsh but this process would keep them much safer on the busy roads of Dubai,” Mr Hodges said. “Death is a permanent event.”

Figures released by Sharjah Police show drivers between the ages of 18 and 30 were responsible for more than 44 per cent of accidents in the emirate in the first five months of this year.

That age group was involved in 434 out of 970 accidents, which caused 159 deaths, 351 moderate injuries and 375 mild injuries.

Dr Britta Lang, director of British consultancy Transport Research Laboratory UAE, said it was harder for younger drivers to anticipate the consequences of their behaviour.

“The restrictions ensure they are not exposed to situations where the demands exceed their skills, which are still in the process of developing,” Dr Lang said.

Ali Ahmad, 23, a fourth-year international studies student at Zayed University in Dubai who obtained his licence at age 18, said he wished he had received more on-road experience beyond basic driving skills.

“When I got my licence I had to teach myself to drive to become a better driver,” Mr Ahmad said.

Many training organisations tend to rush students to the road test, Mr Hodges said.

“They should have 45 hours of on-road driver training before taking the road test,” he said.

After four years behind the wheel, Mr Ahmad became more at ease and confident while on the road.

“I don’t really like to drive fast,” he said. “I take extra care on the roads.”

He said he had been involved in a few minor accidents. His car was once hit from behind, and he was side-swept by another.

Training hazard perception skills should be a high priority as novice drivers' hazard perception skills are not as developed as those of experienced drivers, said Dr Lang.

“There is very robust evidence from studies in Australia and the UK to suggest that better hazard perception skills are significantly associated with lower collision rates,” she said.

Technology is another trap for younger drivers.

“Young people are usually more social media interactive and tend to behave illegally by using smartphones, sometimes even taking selfies while driving,” Mr Hodges said.

“This combined with an inevitably higher speeds raises what I call the ‘causal factors’ to an extreme high.”

rruiz@thenational.ae

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Innotech Profile

Date started: 2013

Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari

Based: Muscat, Oman

Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies

Size: 15 full-time employees

Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing 

Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now. 

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Miss Granny

Director: Joyce Bernal

Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa

3/5

(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

THE BIO

Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.

Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.

Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.

Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.

 

 

The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5-litre%2C%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E410hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E495Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Estarts%20from%20Dh495%2C000%20(Dh610%2C000%20for%20the%20F-Sport%20launch%20edition%20tested)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier

Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August

 

Group A

Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar

Group B

UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

 

UAE group fixtures

Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran

Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait

Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi

 

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed

While you're here
Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now