We've all been there, driving peacefully on the left lane, just a kilometer per hour under the speed limit and suddenly, the inside of our car lights up so bright that you think it is day time again when in fact, its just midnight. "Ok, ok" you think, "I'll move out of the lane but just when I get a chance to do so in between the stream of cars flying by me on the next lane" who seem not to regard your tight situation as the car behind you is now practically kissing your car's rear bumper.
And we've all been there, in a rush, driving as fast as we possibly dare to on the left lane trying to make it on time 20minutes late from when you were supposed to be there in the first place. And now there's this car that is driving 40kph below the 120kph speed limit without any concern with how much in a rush you are evidently in. As much as you might hate it, you briefly signal off your request for the car to clear the lane, and let you pass through. But this one, no, this one is stubborn and doesn't want to change lanes, even though all 6 of them to his right are clear. "Now it is a matter of principle", you think to yourself. "Why doesn't he change lanes when he is clearly driving well below the speed limit, and he can clearly see that I am in a hurry?". So you retaliate with the only way you know how and that is by getting as close as you can, to fire off your light beams so he understands that it is your right of way.
Dubai had recently installed radars around town that can detect if the distance between your car, and the car in front of you is 5m or less, and issue you with a 400 Dirhams fine should you be traveling at 80kph or more. The objective is to reduce, if not eliminate, tailgating in order to assure safety on the roads, and achieve less accidents.
Tailgating is surely an issue in Dubai, and I am certain that nobody will say that they like it happening to them. And yes, the deployment of those radars will surely get drivers to think twice now before pacing the rear of any car and flashing off the head lights so they clear the lane, but the challenge will remain in the space between radars. The real issue in hand, in my opinion, is not tailgating; but it is with the driving culture as an overall. For some reason, we tend to underestimate driving time thinking that a certain trip will take 15 minutes, when it probably needs more like 45 minutes with traffic, just like it did the last 10 times and so, we find ourselves reacting by stepping on the pedal.
In some of the countries I visited in Europe, I noticed that the left lane of a highway is usually kept clear. The reason for this is because as best as people try to manage their time, they are still subject to being late. Therefore, and as a courtesy, people who managed to be on the road on time will tend to keep the left lane clear so those who are in a rush can overtake without the need to hassle anyone else about it.
With highways in Dubai being at least 6-7 lanes in each direction, I think it is highly feasible to reserve the left lane for overtaking during off peak hours. This will likely result in more cars driving on the remaining lanes, which in theory, should slow them down given the anticipated traffic that should be generated by the same number of vehicles now driving on lesser number of lanes. This courteous practice, combined with better time management, will surely not only reduce traffic accidents, but also, lower people's overall stress levels generated by road rage. And guess what, you'll probably be on time as well! Wouldn't that be nice for a change?
Do we really need to have new driving rules, and a new fines system so that car drivers become more empathetic towards driving safer? We don't! Just start with yourself and decide that you'll become a better driver, and as you start feeling better because of your better driving etiquette, start encouraging your family and friends to do the same. Tailgating became a problem because one person started it, and everyone else followed practice. Maybe it's time for the solution to be achieved in the same way.
Happy Friday!
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