Reasons people get run over
In the fast moving world, the race against time is one of the most important factors, which invites trouble (“Drop in traffic accidents a battle won by police”, Gulf News, October 2). Gadgets, meetings and deadlines, all go into the same basket. Texting or talking over the phone while driving is a serious offence, but does anyone really care? With their eyes on the phone, how can you expect their reflexes to work when they need to? In such conditions, your senses will not be alert enough to apply the brakes if you see someone right in front of you. Similarly if you text or talk while walking, the same thing might apply. You might not notice a fast moving vehicle coming right towards you and you could be easily run over. The text or the call can and must wait. Waiting for a while in traffic jams could get you irritated and you tend to cover up for the lost time when the traffic starts to move. A human at the wheels needs to have a lot of patience and has to concentrate only on driving at all times. Pedestrians too need to move around responsibly. They need to understand that everyone needs to reach their destinations on time. Taking short cuts may lead one to the shortest route to ending someone’s life. Crossing roads at designated areas, following traffic signals, use of the foot bridges can go a long way in saving lives. Imposing fines on jaywalkers is not the only solution but educating them to refrain from such acts also must be brought into practice.
From Mr Manoj Panicker
Sharjah
Polite way of doing it
I would like to comment that driving slow on the left lane should not be allowed. I believe that the extreme left lane should only be used for overtaking. I use the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed road in the morning hours and almost every day I see at least one driver who thinks it’s his right to be driving on that track at his own speed. However, I believe that instead of flashing your lights to overtake, you could use the left indicator to signal that you have an intention of overtaking the person. Most often, motorists give way when you use that signal, it acts as a polite way of saying, ‘I want to overtake’ rather than flashing your lights and sending the message ‘get out of my way’.
From Mr Anup R Hegde
Dubai
Should not be allowed
One of the most frustrating moments for me is when you are in the fast lane and you have a car flashing right behind you or overtaking you before giving you the time to think. While I do agree that driving slowly should never be allowed in fast lanes or the left lanes, but what if you have a person who wants to drive at a speed, much above the limit, and starts overtaking? Is that right? Little does he know, he is not just putting the person in front of him in trouble, but is also putting the people on the right lane in danger. If it’s a 120km/h road then the person coming behind you should overtake another car only if the right lane is clear, rather than flashing his or her lights.
From Ms Sandhya Shetty
Dubai
Moving towards independence
Pilot training scholarships, driving or flying, all seem to have been passed by the government at the same time (“Saudi university to open driving school for women,“ Gulf News, October 2). It is a proud moment for the women of Saudi Arabia. Scholarships are an initiative to monitor and train the right talent. Financial liberty is one thing, which will lead to many women becoming independent and professional.
From Mr Sanjay Gupta
Dubai
Lifting the ban
The long standing ban on women driving was recently lifted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and this was praised by the entire globe. This shows that women are playing an important role. It is evident that lifting the ban indicates they will also be given an opportunity in other areas from the government. This new policy saves a lot of money in the future for the women, as all these days they were engaging male drivers for commuting to office and other places. This will boost confidence for women, to enter the aviation industry, as the government has already announced the provision of scholarships for training pilots. In the coming days, Saudi Arabia will be more visible on the global map. Good move from Saudi Arabia.
From Mr K. Ragavan
India
Instilling values early
With reference to the news article about moral education, I would like to convey my appreciation for the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Ministry of Education, for their commendable efforts. This initiative will bring about a positive change for everyone in society. It will bring about progress in a student’s life. I personally feel that it is a very good initiative as, at an early age, the encouragement of good values are inculcated. It helps an individual to develop social and moral values.
From Ms Nivedita Srinivasan
Dubai
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