Although the UAE is a place largely free from physical assaults, it's nevertheless a dangerous place. Unlike the US, danger doesn't come from the end of a barrel; unlike Australia, it doesn't come from a home invasion assault or bashing from an obnoxious football goer, it comes from other drivers.
The statistics for road accident-related deaths here are alarming. In Dubai, the most populated part of the UAE, one person dies every 30h or so and there are dozens of traffic accidents every day. Dubai's Sheik Zayed Road apparently has the distinction of being the most dangerous road on earth.
Yesterday there was a fog induced multi-vehicle pile-up in Abu Dhabi, details of which appear in this Gulf News report: http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Traffic_and_Transport/10196597.html
Admittedly, many other countries have featured in highway pile-ups, but what makes it different here is that people continue speeding when there is fog. They don't slow down and most don't wear seatbelts, so the resultant death and injury levels tend to be higher.
Have a lovely day ... drive sensibly and always wear your seat belt!
Robin
PS: See the YouTube video footage here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGWZnNTBFbM
1 comment:
Hi Robin
I got an email from Nancy F with the photos. Amazing accident. I really hope no-pne I knwo was involved, but have to say that I was once driving along that road in fog and the speed of the drivers was terrifying to me.
Do you think Darwinian selection works? Some people have the driving gene and others don't?
Take care....this from us in the land of 50 km/h speed limits!
A.
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