ABU DHABI // Anyone who has driven on local motorways knows they are often the domain of the inordinately self-assured.
But a driving company in Musaffah is working to soften that mindset, and is reaping results after only a few days.
On Wednesday, the Emirates Driving Company officially launched a free programme that teaches drivers how to adapt to tricky weather conditions. Already 120 participants, half of them Emirati, have applied to take the course, which continues until the end of February.
"We truly appreciate these individuals who recognise and admit the fact that they need to improve their basic skills," said Dr Gihad Esbaita, the driving company's general manager. "Many drivers have a false sense of self-assurance when it comes to driving and handling themselves in compromising situations. This is where we come in and teach drivers what they can expect from the car and how they can control it."
He said this month was the ideal time for such an initiative. "In February, the climate changes in a matter of days. In one day you can experience two or three seasons."
The programme is open to anyone with a driver's licence. Interested candidates can call the Emirates Driving Company for an appointment to take the course in English, Arabic or Urdu.
The programme has a 70-minute theoretical section and a one-hour practical section. Drivers practise with instructors in real cars, which have stained windscreens to simulate fog, and in car simulators that imitate driving in a variety of conditions, including fog and rain.
The Ministry of Interior is supporting the project.
Brig Gen Gaith Hassan al Zaabi, director general of traffic coordination, said the ministry is developing a strategy to improve driving conditions in the emirate, starting with a road safety campaign under the theme "Together in Ending Road Accidents" during GCC Week, which begins on March 13.
"Most accidents can be attributed to human factors," Brig Gen al Zaabi said. "In order to reduce the number of accidents, we need to change driver behaviour. This type of communication will do so by teaching drivers the right methods on how to handle themselves in such circumstances, and as a result, have a positive impact on the community."
