# Pile up E11



## sandypool (Sep 12, 2009)

How many of these terrible tragedies have to occur before the authorities REALLY start tackling the route cause of these problems. i.e. decent driving instruction and tests and fines proportional to a persons means and perhaps the next time they catch someone exceeding 180-200KM on the road - an instant ban like the rest of the world would do. And perhaps the next time a 19 year old boy goes to the insurance company to get his high performance high weight car insured they will do what they did to me at 19 - tell me to come back with a 1 litre and they might find a way to insure me. I've had enough of this. Wasta and God need to be thrown out the window, driving like an idiot kills people and should be punished as such.

Emirates 24/7 At least 2 dead scores feared injured.

Hope all in the Expat Forum family are okay.


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

Very sad indeed!

I do think however that the high speed is probably a lesser factor as opposed to the fact that a lot of people just CANNOT drive!! It also, as you have rightly pointed out, does not help that some people have access to cars that are far too powerful. Add that to the non-existent driving skills and you have a recipe for disaster.

I also get super annoyed when people claim that 'it was God's will'! How can it be God's will for someone to go out and drive like a complete maniac and kill others in the process. The sad truth is that often the person who causes the accident is also the one who ends up walking away from it, whilst the innocent party pays with their lives!

I commute to Abu Dhabi and I would say that even after passing the scene of a serious accident, the shock quickly wears off and people start driving like maniacs again...result being that 5 minutes later you come to a complete stop cause some idiot has now crashed! If there is fog, you wouldn't catch me driving in the fast lane since there are people who assume that we are all now driving in other lanes and speed blindly down the fast lane, with complete disregard for other road users!


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

I came thru that area at around 6am and was horrible. The entire drive was bad. People were going 60 km an hour, next to the fast lane where people were still going 160km.... You could still see ahead quite a bit at the time but some areas the fog got quite dense. I couldnt understand why someone who chose to go so slow, did so right next to the fast lane. But it was like that much of my drive in this morning, as most mornings during fog. I found it dangerous trying to stick with a decent speed and using the left lane to pass by these very slow drivers. 

It is a recipe for disaster in normal driving the 100km next to the 180+ emirati race track lane... Fog makes it so much worse. 

My heart goes out to those families who are involved in the tragedy this morning.


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## sandypool (Sep 12, 2009)

I agree but I read a statistic recently that the higher proportion of deaths actually occur in the slow lane further up the road from the accident. Large vehicles that use the inside lane (slow lane) come across these pile ups and slam into the car in front. The small car using the slow lane has no chance against all the commercial vehicles and buses using this lane.

I agree it is probably the crazy driving and poor skills that cause the accident, but if a 4WD ploughs into the back of the crash at 160 kph it has a far greater chance of killing or injuring someone than if they'd eased off and hit it at 60/80 kph.

I just get so annoyed by it all. To me the fix is easy. More enforcement. There are plenty of coppers on the road not blinking when someone driving erratically or far in excess of the speed limit passes them when they should be pulling them over and handing them a fine (and is most cases a court summons). I really believe that if more of these idiots were being pulled up in front of a Judge we'd be seeing a lot less RTA's on the roads of the UAE,


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

My boss has told everyone not to bother coming to the office when there is thick fog and anyone that has to go to the office in Abu Dhabi should leave Dubai after 9am. It's just not worth dieing for.

At least back home if someone is driving like an absolute moron, you can drag them out of their car at the next lights and give them a good kicking.


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

I have friends in UK/German/Netherlands who have be banned from driving for breaking the speed limits on a regular basis. Why does it have to be any different here? What am I missing? Why the police can't take this matter more seriously? Why are the drivers who are responsible for the death of others still allowed to drive? When are these people going to understand that THEY ARE NOT GERMANS and that the UAE motorways are not the Autobahn? I just don't get it. There is no excuse for this. Irresponsible, arrogant idiots.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

dizzyizzy said:


> When are these people going to understand that THEY ARE NOT GERMANS and that the UAE motorways are not the Autobahn?


No...  They are locals and can go have a tea discussion and make the tickets nearly go away.


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

Zero road fatality in Dubai by 2020: Dahi - Emirates 24/7

The police themselves drive atrociously, they rarely follow their own rules so how can you expect others to do so? They turn a blind eye to many things and fail to use proper driving techniques themselves. The people here think it's stylish to do things like talk on your phone with it held up to your ear while driving and expect the rest of us to appease them for it.


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

the biggest problem, as pointed out in the first post, is the Wasta - if people know that they can drive at 100 or even 160 kmphh and no more, it is fine.
but, if some guy thinks (rightly) that the speed limit is 100 kmph, and the other driver has no concept of a speed limit because he can get away with it, it is a perfect recipe for disaster.

also, the driving skills - after thinking about it a lot and experiencing it, I do think that more Asians and Arabs do cause a problem (it cannot be a racist comment - I am an Indian myself). If you have grown up driving without rules and then suddenly descend on Dubai, obviously you will carry over your poor driving skills (I know I am generalising, but stereotypes are generally correct). Not that western expats are never bad at driving, but in general Arabs and Asians are horrendous drivers


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

I'm told in Qatar it doesn't matter who you are, a fine is a fine and everyone pays regardless of their connections. Probably exaggerated but a good start for them!


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## Nightshadow (Sep 21, 2010)

Im not sure I follow the line of thinking here, in some of the posts. What do fines have to do with anything? If I can afford a few quarter of a million-dollar vehicles do you really believe I care about paying a few thousand dirhams on fines? Please... if anything, it would send me on a power trip, knowing I have endless amounts of cash and can "pay for the privilege" to go as fast as I please. 

Izzy made a comment that makes a bit more sense, in the US people lose their licenses after a certain amount of infractions, usually 3 of them. Rich or poor, you get in trouble 3 times and you lose your right to drive, PERIOD. Sure, as a rich person you can still drive without the license but now youre stacking up the 30 days in jail kinda deal and that only works 3 times as well. If you are truly stubborn, you'll find yourself a millionaire in prison for neglecting to follow the rules. 

To me, "fines" are another way of saying you can purchase the right to break the law. Put these idiots in jail and then we will see how many of them continue to drive like complete morons.


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

The black points system is supposed to deter habitual offenders but it is a complete joke too. In theory you get 24 black points and lose your licence but I think the last time I looked you got more points for driving without a number plate than for killing someone by wreckless driving. I heard last week that in Abu Dhabi people with 72 black points were now going to be able to enrol on a brief course of classroom lessons after which they could get their licences back. No prizes for guessing which nationality the 72 pointers are but i`m thinking four wheel drives and black windows!


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

rsinner said:


> Not that western expats are never bad at driving, but in general Arabs and Asians are horrendous drivers




The problem is that most of them actually think they are great drivers; many Arabs think they are "skilled" because they can drift, and many Pathans think they are "brave" because they dont care about tailing a car at 140 kph, they also accuse westerners of being coward drivers. And then you have the Lebs who think just because they drive a 20 year old BMW, normal laws of physics dont apply to them

OTTH I am sick of explaining to people that speed isnt the biggest factor. A road where people drive 140 kph and keep 80 yards from the next car is far safer than a road where people drive 110 kph but are 25 yards off each other.

Everytime I try to keep a safe distance from the car in front, 2 idiots will move into the safe space.


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

I agree with the stiffer rules being put in place and not allowing the offender a chance to get his license back... But I also think a lot of this also has to do with enforcement. In the US, we don't have a lot of radars/cameras on the road (as compared to the UAE and Europe), but you see a police presence on the roads all the time. The mere thought of having a cop chase you down, pull you over, and issue you a ticket (or sometimes taking you to jail immediately) will cause you to act right. Here, there is no police presence on the road ways (I have seen many cops in parking lots doing nothing and) and others are above the law.

The police can spew rhetoric about driving safely and getting the casualty numbers down, but they themselves don't follow their own rules and they lack the means to enforce such measures they implement. If they do implement rules/regulations, they then offer a way out for the privileged few.


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## Nightshadow (Sep 21, 2010)

@ Tropicana: I really pity people that feel the need to tail the car in front of them while doing any speed above 60, as its obvious they didnt do too well in school. Simple physics tells you if the guy in front literally brakes at 100kmh and youre 5 meters behind him, you will not brake in time, this isnt theory, its fact. I know its wrong but sometimes I secretly wish the car in front will suddenly have to brake to cause the other guy and guys behind him to crash. Heck, I considered suddenly braking to do this but I wondered if Id really get off easy here in Dubai. 

In the US Ive done it and have absolutely no problem having my car hit, since everything is insured and its a good way to keep these idiots off the roads, not to mention you are automatically at fault if you rear-end someone, there I cant lose. Here, Im not 100% about how traffic laws work.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Bordering into iffy territory here but after reading this news story, my own experiences and a trip to Union Co-Op last Friday afternoon, I'm beginning to think that sections of society here are genetically stupid, as there is no other explanations for regular actions here. I used to put it down to conditioning and experiences of the people in the region but even an animal knows not to touch a flame twice and that it can't pass through solid matter..


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Nightshadow, don`t touch the brakes as professional tailgaters are prepared for that simply use your screen wash to clear your windscreen and the overspray will coat their shinny 4x4 in dirt and they will soon back off. Be prepared though because they will now do everything possible to get past you on the inside lane and brake-test you. 
Best to do it when you know you are taking the next exit, then they get really upset!!


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

Unfortunately, as much as I hate tailgating, some of the drivers here are so used to it, that they'll be in the left lane doing 100km/h and will assume that if you're not on their bumper flashing your lights then you don't want them to move over. Or they simply don't look in their mirrors.

I had a great stress-free drive to work this morning though, the roads were almost empty and the traffic flowed sensibly.


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

Nightshadow said:


> @ Tropicana: I really pity people that feel the need to tail the car in front of them while doing any speed above 60, as its obvious they didnt do too well in school. Simple physics tells you if the guy in front literally brakes at 100kmh and youre 5 meters behind him, you will not brake in time, this isnt theory, its fact. I know its wrong but sometimes I secretly wish the car in front will suddenly have to brake to cause the other guy and guys behind him to crash. Heck, I considered suddenly braking to do this but I wondered if Id really get off easy here in Dubai.
> 
> In the US Ive done it and have absolutely no problem having my car hit, since everything is insured and its a good way to keep these idiots off the roads, not to mention you are automatically at fault if you rear-end someone, there I cant lose. Here, Im not 100% about how traffic laws work.


The "law" here is that the tailgater is always at fault, unless in certain cases when the person in front mysterously gets the blame; this is why driving wont improve beyond a certain level. 

When I tell some drivers that they wont be able to stop in time, they say 'dont worry, I have control on my car". And when they get away with 5 years of tailigating and not causing an accident they think its their sheer skill and not luck that prevented them from having accidents


You have horrendous drivers in many 3rd world countries who think they are ok drivers.

And here, and even more so in Saudi Arabia you have really bad drivers thinking they are really good drivers.


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