Safe Driving - Educating People

I’d like to talk about safe driving. The main reason is to educate readers who may not have lived in a society where driving safety has been promoted for decades.

My key points that I’d like to stress AND hear comments on are:

(a) Wearing a seatbelt (all passengers). Some people believe that an airbag does that job. That’s not the case. There’s a good reason that cars have seatbelts, and that wearing them is law in most countries.

(b) Putting children in child car-seats. Oh how I wish people would realize the importance of this. When a car stops suddenly (in an accident, or even hard breaking), any object not fastened down will continue to move at the same speed – a child can easily be killed. Don’t rely on luck or God’s will to protect you. Consider the Islamic hadith (story of Prophet) which says Trust in God, but tie your camel. In other words, Leash it it, or it may walk away. For those still in doubt, consider that other Islamic countries have made it law to wear seatbelts and use child car-seats. Qatar will follow, I just wish it would be sooner rather than later.

(c) Leave a gap between you and the car in front – give yourself time to react to what’s going on in front of you. Last year there were more than 70,000 road accidents in Doha alone (not in the country, in this town alone), and this year there have already been more than 90 deaths on the roads. How many of these accidents could have been prevented by slowing down and leaving a gap.

(d) There’s much more to debate, I’d like to hear your opinions on what people need to learn, and when we think things will change here. Try to make your answers educational.

Let’s save some lives!