Speeding drivers 'creating road crisis'

A professional Formula 3 driver urges young motorists to slow down in a bid to improve the country's poor road safety record.

Basil Shaaban demonstrates the value of wearing seat belts to his student audience.

Abu Dhabi // Speeding by many young Emirati drivers is contributing to a "crisis" on the country's roads, according to a UN world youth ambassador for road safety. Basil Shaaban, a professional racing driver with the Prema Powerteam on the world Formula 3 circuit, said excessive speed was the main factor behind the UAE's high road death toll, and he also called for all drivers to wear seat belts.

Speaking to a group of Emirati students, the Lebanese driver cited statistics from Abu Dhabi Health Authority, the Ministry of Interior and the UN. He said that in 2008, 424 people were killed on the capital's roads and 1,071 in the country overall. "These figures demonstrate that there's a problem, a crisis, especially in the Emirates," he said. Young men in particular tended to speed excessively; he warned that more than 75 per cent of people killed on the roads were male.

Every 35 hours, a member of an Emirati family was lost in a traffic accident, he added. Road deaths could be cut by 50 per cent if drivers wore seat belts and obeyed speed limits. The man described by many as the Arab world's leading driver in F3 - a proven breeding ground for F1 drivers - made his presentation on Monday to students from the Higher Colleges of Technology. He told them young people, especially in developing countries, were significantly more likely to be involved in traffic accidents, with Africa and the Middle East "competing for the worst statistics in this regard".

Many drivers were unaware of the risks posed by flouting traffic rules and safety standards. His presentation was part of a road safety awareness campaign launched in November in response to figures showing traffic accidents were the leading cause of death in the country and accounted for 70 per cent of total injuries. The Salama Road Safety Public Awareness Initiative, involving several private companies, non-governmental organisations and government departments, aims to highlight the dangers of reckless driving, specifically among young Emiratis.

Mr Shaaban's session included videos of road fatalities caused by careless driving and failure to use seat belts. One video concluded with the warning, "heaven can wait, belt up". Following his talk, Mr Shaaban argued at length with some students who disputed the effectiveness of seat belts. Again citing health authority statistics, he told them the belts reduced the risk of injury by 45 per cent and the risk of death by 61 per cent. He said he had been involved in several car accidents and "would not have made it to the session" had he not been wearing a belt.

"All safety equipment is necessary but the seat belt is the most important." Mr Shaaban contrasted the country's poor road safety record with that of England, where five deaths in every 100,000 annually are in traffic accidents; in the UAE in 2008, the figure was more than 20 in every 100,000. "Traffic roads are designed for those who respect their own life and the lives of others, to reach their home at the end of the day safe and sound," Mr Shaaban said. "Young people, especially, don't seem to comprehend this fact."

He urged young motorists to be responsible and "defend your lives and the lives of your beloved ones". He also told his audience: ? Motorcycle helmets reduced the risk and severity of head injuries by 70 per cent; ? Unrestrained children were 10 times more likely to die in traffic accidents; ? The use of mobile phones while driving increased the risk of collision by 300 per cent; ? Reducing speed by just 1kph would decrease fatal crashes by five per cent.

Maytha al Habsi, the director of the Takatof Programme for Social Volunteering, praised the initiative, saying it could lead to more stringent road safety laws. "What's unique about this initiative is that it involves government institutions as well as NGOs and private companies," she said. The Emirates Driving Company would provide technical and specialised knowledge on road safety and the Ministry of Interior would look at introducing new laws based on the campaign's findings. The initiative also involves Abu Dhabi Health Authority, the Emirates Foundation and Shell.

"Unlike previous campaigns, there will be an evaluation of the outcomes of the campaign," Ms Al Habsi said. "We're not going to only do campaigns here and there without a systematic approach. The statistics provided by specialised authorities would be used to assess progress throughout the year." She added that there were many influences on young people's driving behaviour. "That's why activities such as this are important because we will interact with young people and put our finger on the reasons why they behave in a particular way, such as refusing to wear their seat belt."

Nesrin Sfeir, the manager of the public awareness programme at the Emirates Foundation, said its activities would focus on Emirati women, despite the fact that fewer women than men were involved in road accidents. "That's because if we educate them on safety, they will be more effective in passing this awareness to their peers and family," she said, adding that many mothers did not put their children in car seat restraints. [e-mail]