The next time you drive, remember that sudden swerving is one of the top killers on UAE roads. One wrong move can cause a collision and end a life – and that life may be your own – if you spin the wheel.
In a video posted by Abu Dhabi Police (ADP) on Instagram, a driver who abruptly steers the wheel in the other side of the road crashes into a car.
As seen in the video, the driver who has swerved loses control of his vehicle causing his/her car with another vehicle.
ADP wrote in the caption: “Sudden swerving, when is it going to stop?” emphasizing that it has zero tolerance for erring and reckless drivers.
Swerving – or sudden swerving, to be more precise – is an act of deviating from one’s steady route, without warning. And because it is a sudden action, nobody is ready for it – least of all the other drivers on the road who may not have quick enough reflexes to avoid a car that has suddenly moved in front of them or in their path.
In 2017, sudden swerving accounted for 15 per cent of the causes of road accidents in Abu Dhabi.
In the same year, it was ranked as the second highest (14 per cent) cause of road accidents in the country.
This has become a key target of the Ministry of Interior’s more intensified public awareness drive starting that year to spread the message across to the public in order to put a brake on this dangerous habit while behind the wheel.
Change lanes but safely
“Changing lanes properly can be a complex maneuver and it must always take our full attention,” says Thomas Edelman. Here are some guidelines on getting it right:
• Look in front of you, behind you and next to you if you are clear to change lanes. This is essential because there are other people on the road.
• Use your indicator a few seconds before you change lanes, so that fellow motorists and pedestrians are aware of your intentions to change lanes and can control their vehicles accordingly.
• Be mindful of those around you and observe the different speeds of the cars in the other lanes. Ideally, this should come naturally to all motorists.
• If you want to exit, go to the right lane in time. It’s a rule of the road, just the way things work out there.
• If you need to cross multiple lines, do it one by one, and check carefully prior to each lane change.
• Drive with anticipation: that’s a good advice for all areas of life.
• Many high-end cars come with lane departure warning / assistance system. Please consider this key safety feature in your buying decision.
