Motorists have been urged to give themselves more time for journeys and show extra consideration to other drivers during Ramadan.
Driving levels were likely be affected by fatigue caused by changes to eating and sleeping patterns, experts told The National.
Just before sunset was identified as one of the times when motorists needed to take most care, with drivers rushing to make iftar appointments.
A study, highlighting the challenges of staying safe on the roads during the holy month, is being released next week by the Road Safety UAE portal.
“During the holy month of Ramadan, it is sad to witness hundreds of accidents and dozens of fatalities every year,” said Thomas Edelmann, managing director of the organisation.
“Ramadan is a very special time and it is all about being with the ones close to you, which creates a lot of traffic.
“The Ramadan-specific lifestyle has physical effects on our body, which can result in dehydration and low blood sugar, which in turn can affect our attentiveness, concentration, vision and reaction.”
Slowing the Ramadan rush
Apart from fasting, the irregular sleeping and meal timings can cause fatigue, exhaustion, impatience and distraction, leading to early morning accidents, he added.
“Just before sunset is also a problematic time to be on the roads, because motorists tend to rush towards their iftar appointments,” said Mr Edelmann.
The study found that older motorists — aged 40 plus, particularly males — were the most vulnerable.
It also found that Tuesdays were the most likely day for an accident, with Sundays the least.
The findings were based on data collated from auto-insurance claims from more than 6,000 accidents that took place during Ramadan.
Motorists were also urged to make sure they gave themselves extra time when travelling during this period.
“Motorists must realise, that even if they arrive late for a Ramadan event, people will understand,” said Mr Edelmann.
“Good time management is crucial and motorists are urged to leave early enough and allow for a time buffer to reach their destination on time.”
Be considerate of others
Showing extra consideration to other motorists was crucial for road safety during the holy month, another expert said.
“People are likely to be more fatigued if they are tired and dehydrated so you have to compensate for that,” said Phil Clarke, technical director of road safety and enforcement for transport consultants 4E.
“If you’re used to weaving in out of lanes and think it’s going to be safe to do so again, you can’t presume other motorists are going to be as switched on as they usually are.
“If you drive as if everyone has their usual level of concentration, then you could come unstuck.”
Motorists were also less likely to notice behaviour on the road they would normally observe easily, he added.
“If you’re feeling fatigued, it might be the case you need to pull over at the side of the road and take a rest,” said Mr Clarke.
“You also need to drive less aggressively and assertively as you might at other times.
“Accidents are rarely caused by just one factor and the compensations for reacting in time are reduced at Ramadan.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
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- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
