Dubai - Stop the talking
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| RoSPA'S UAE Representative Andrea Akehurst, raising awareness in the UAE of the dangers of using a mobile phone whilst driving. |
Motorists who use mobile phones while they are driving are four times as likely to be involved in accidents than those who drive under the influence, a Dubai-based study revealed yesterday. The ‘Motosafe’ study carried out under the supervision of the UK’s Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) claim that using mobile phone greatly increases the danger on the roads to the driver, passengers and other motorists.
“Answering calls while driving can induce lot of stress and also distract the driver completely. Previous research in other countries has shown that driving while using a phone is at least as dangerous as driving while having been drinking,” said Dr Raymond H Hamden, Clinical and Forensic Psychologist of the Human Relations Institute at Knowledge Village, who is part of the study team.
Previous RoSPA studies revealed the majority of the calls that are taken by drivers on a mobile are ‘intense, complex, business-related and distracting to the motorist.’ RoSPA UAE Representative Andrea Akehurst said: “I would like the drivers in the UAE to take greater care when driving and to concentrate on just one task, and that is to drive to the best of their ability and to avoid talking on the phone.”
In the UAE, it is a punishable offence to physically hold the mobile phone to your ear to talk whilst driving and police strongly advocate the use of hands free devices if people need to talk while driving. “We are studying the impact of the use of mobile phones and will come up with a law to prevent it,” said Juma Bilal Al Suwaidi, Chief of Traffic Awareness Department.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the President of the Automobile and Touring Club for the UAE said: “Driving in the UAE is dangerous enough due to the high speed roads without the added risk of people talking on the phone at the same time.” The survey was RoSPA’s first authoritative road safety research undertaken in the Gulf.
Amer Belhasa, managing director of Emirates Driving Institute, said: “Studies such as these are an excellent way of driving home the message that it is the responsibility for all citizens to help make our roads accident free.”
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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