- Peak accident timings are around the mid-morning rush hour from 10-11 am
- Tuesdays are the most dangerous days, Sundays the least dangerous*
Source: RoadSafetyUAE website
The Road Safety Awareness Campaign launched by AETOSWire and RoadSafetyUAE, an initiative that aims to bring about safety to roads in the region, has highlighted the importance of time management to avoid accidents during Ramadhan.
In week 3, the Road Safety Awareness Campaign emphasised on the value of good time management to evade overspeeding.
RoadSafetyUAE Founder and MD Thomas Edelmann said, “Recently-released data by the UAE Ministry of Interior proved that overspeeding accounts for 40% of the total number of traffic accidents and killed 230 people in the UAE last year. Although it’s about 26% lower than 2017’s recorded casualties of 312 deaths due to overspeeding, the number is still alarming.
“It is vital for motorists to manage their time wisely in order not to rush just to make up for lost time and still arrive on the dot. According to studies, leaving 5 minutes late will make you drive 33% faster to reach at your destination at the same time. So do the math, add this percentage to your normal driving speed and it will become dangerous.”
President and CEO of NSG, AETOSWire, and Esmaa News Tony AbiHanna added, “Simple measures like well-preparedness and time-management can make the difference between turning you into a 'saver' or a 'killer' on the road.”
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| Roads in the UAE, 2009. |
In week 2, the campaign focused on motorists exercising self-control to manage their driving behaviour and patterns on the road while fasting.
Ramadhan is typically the peak season for traffic accidents, according to the campaign. A 2015 study in Turkey also found that there are slightly more accidents and deaths during Ramadhan.
With the lifestyle changes due to adjustments in work, sleep, and eating habits, Ramadhan can lead to dehydration and low blood sugar which can in turn cause fatigue, exhaustion, distraction, in attentiveness, and irritation during driving. Knowing these effects can help motorists come up with precautionary measures to cushion the outcome and avoid getting into and causing an accident.
Getting enough rest and sleep coupled with eating nutritious food will help the body buffer the effects of fasting. Whilst hydration is the key to keeping the body functioning well, so stay hydrated until the next round of fasting starts, the campaign said.
AETOSWire is NSG's news distribution arm and the exclusive representative of Business Wire, in the MENA region.
Hashtag: #HappyNotHastyRamadan
Watch the associated videos for:
Week 2, in English
Week 2, in Arabic