Letter: Time to make an example of drivers who use phones

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: Letter: Time to make an example of drivers who use phones Over the past few days, I’ve run an experiment of sorts: riding in the passenger seat, I’ve taken down number plates of cars whose drivers flagrantly break the rules by using their mobiles while driving. I’m not going to attempt to report them to the police because I can never seem to get through to an English-speaking officer. And so there was the man who was driving down Sheikh Zayed Road at about 100kph without touching his steering wheel, because he was too busy typing away on his phone. From his expensive car, he had the money but no common sense. Then there was the other man, this morning, also on Sheikh Zayed Road who let his hands off the wheel so he could dial a number. Again, expensive car; no brains. RELATED: Watch #Roadsmart series on road safety And finally, there was the boy who was drifting across lanes on Al Manara Street – also texting while driving. I checked all three numbers on Dubai Police’s handy website and all three had extensive fines for speeding and using a handheld device while driving. None of them had black points and none of them seemed to care. To me, this points to the failure of remote policing and an over-reliance on technology to do the job. Stopping a motorist, explaining what he/she did wrong and then issuing a fine may be harder work but I’m certain it will pay dividends. As long as errant drivers are not inconvenienced – paying fines in instalments has to stop – we’re just going to continue to see Dubai slide into greater traffic chaos. I have nothing but the greatest respect for the Police – they do a wonderful job keeping us safe otherwise, but something needs to be done about our roads before more innocents are killed. Concerned, Dubai Read the original story at: Letter: Time to make an example of drivers who use phones