The rules of the road may be all in your mind


  • English
  • Arabic

Absurd parking, unmannerly driving and disdain for the rules of the road (do they even exist?) can be found in every society. But as oceans of ink - and, tragically, blood - will attest, the dominant trend on the roads in the UAE can most charitably be called "freestyle". Of course, there are many components to this issue, including culture, social class and enforcement. But for my money the most satisfying explanation of why driver behaviour is so unruly revolves around the concept of abstraction.

Abstraction is a complicated notion with many diverse applications, but for my purposes it is the process of acknowledging a general concept based on common and consistent examples; we recognise an idea and use it to guide our behaviour, almost as if the idea were something physical. The result is general adherence to a "rule" that is both predictable and one of the preconditions of civil society.

One easy example of abstraction is the white lines that denote a parking space. These lines of paint are meaningless in themselves; crossing or straddling them has no physical effect on a car or its driver. Yet as an abstract concept they (should) represent barriers: they are walls without substance. General practice, however, has strayed far from the theoretical. Look around any car park and see a picture of chaos, with cars strewn capriciously in disregard of the lines.

There is a language of everyday objects, but as with all languages a community of users must agree on the definitions and structure to ensure accurate communication. We have more or less achieved consensus on the abstraction found in traffic signals: red lights mean "stop". But lane markers, particularly solid versus dotted lines, painted kerbs that indicate no parking, and now the traffic signals dedicated to each lane, seem to represent concepts that are still obscure to a large segment of the driving public. Is it any wonder, then, that behaviour on the roads is unpredictable?

Other types of abstraction include anticipation and projection: expecting the reaction to a given action, and imagining the consequences to others of that action. Neither of these abstract processes surfaces often, save for the most obvious examples. Granted, most motorists anticipate that ploughing into a lamppost will have a negative consequence. But more subtle opportunities for anticipation are neglected.

Driving is a complex task that requires constant anticipation and projection, and imagining, for example, how a lane change will affect subsequent options must be encouraged. These concepts need to be drilled permanently into the minds of driving students, and traffic police need to remind "experienced" drivers to practise these ideas using on-the-spot fines and disruption of their "important" journeys.

I vividly remember from my own driving lessons, ages ago, the abstract concept of "aiming high". The instructor insisted that we look beyond the car directly in front of us and constantly anticipate manoeuvres in advance of action. Similarly, many learners failed their driving test because they neglected to check their mirrors to judge, and respect, the presence of other cars behind or alongside. Remember the abstract concept of a "safe stopping distance" that guided behaviour?

Blocking a lane by lazily double parking - even "just for a minute" - defies sense. The only logical reason that so many people behave in this selfish and unmannerly is pure, antisocial disrespect. "My time is more important than your time," is the presumed attitude. It boggles the mind to see cars double parked in front of an empty space. When you ask the driver why he doesn't simply pull into the space, it's as if you've asked why he doesn't slam his fingers in the door: bewilderment that belies not a hint of recognition that his actions are socially unacceptable. Abstractly projecting the consequences of these actions on other drivers simply does not figure in the equation.

As an educator, I often have discussions about the importance of critical thinking. Academics generally agree that this is a high-priority skill that needs considerable attention and provides an opportunity to equip students with abilities to navigate the complexity of modern life. Abstraction is a bedrock component of critical thinking; it is an antidote to rigid literal thinking and passive acceptance of ideas without recourse to their merits. Can we use improved abstract thinking on the roads to spur more critical thinking in other areas? It would be nice to think so.

Beyond the usual suspects - driving instructors, traffic police and road planners - the public has a role to play. Leading by good example is a game many have doggedly played; long may they continue to do so. But the public has a further role: to teach by courteous reminders and respectful comments. When your taxi driver behaves like a fool, upbraid him. When fellow parents on the school run triple park, suggest to them they should not block traffic. When someone rolls down the window to ask to be let in to cross four lanes of traffic just before the lights, suggest that he think about his turn further in advance.

I realise that this sounds naive, but when I think about how many times, in Germany for example, I have been chided by members of the public (often little old ladies) for crossing the street against the light, or, in the US, confronted by a note on my windscreen asking why I have parked like an idiot, I do believe that the public can play a partial role in behaviour modification. Besides, we are all in this society together, and we have a duty to encourage each other towards more civilised mutual respect.

Dr Christopher K Brown is founding director of the College of International and Advanced Studies at Zayed University

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

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Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
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Based: Dubai, UAE
 
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If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
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UAE gold medallists:

Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.

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  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

The specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.

AUSTRALIA SQUAD

Tim Paine (captain), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

Brave CF 27 fight card

Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)

Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)

Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)

Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) v Christofer Silva (BRA)

Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)

Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)

Featherweight:
Sulaiman (KUW) v Abdullatip (RUS)

Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)

THE SPECS

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Transmission: six-speed automatic

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Torque: 240Nm

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The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

PROFILE OF CURE.FIT

Started: July 2016

Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori

Based: Bangalore, India

Sector: Health & wellness

Size: 500 employees

Investment: $250 million

Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059