“Motorists must realize, that even if they arrive late for a Ramadan event, people will understand. Good time management is crucial and motorists are urged to leave early enough and allow for a time buffer to reach their destination on time. We need to display a caring attitude for ourselves and for others in this very special period,”
DUBAI: Contrary to popular belief, most car accidents during Ramadan happen not during iftar but in the late-morning office rush hours, according to a study by RoadSafetyUAE, a portal on safe motoring in the UAE.
RoadSafetyUAE analyzed the 2017 Ramadan claims data of 1,651 reported UAE accidents/claims provided by i-Insured to draw learnings for this year’s Ramadan.
Main findings?
• Accidents by time of the day: “As many of us start their working days later, we see the majority of claims / accidents happening in the late-morning office rush hours,” said a report prepared by the portal.
• Accidents by Ramadan weeks and week days: “The claims / accidents are very evenly spread over the 4 weeks of Ramadan. The most dangerous weekdays are Tuesdays and least dangerous are Saturdays,” it added.
Thomas Edelmann, RoadSafetyUAE managing director said it is of utmost importance to know how the Ramadan lifestyle can affect our own behavior, as well as the behavior of other traffic participants.
“Motorists must realize, that even if they arrive late for a Ramadan event, people will understand. Good time management is crucial and motorists are urged to leave early enough and allow for a time buffer to reach their destination on time,” Edelmann said.
“We need to display a caring attitude for ourselves and for others in this very special period,” he added.
Meantime, Frederik Bisbjerg, Executive Vice President for Retail at i-Insured, said three main findings must be noted based on the analyzed data:
• Motorists, who are 40 and above, must take extra caution.
• Mind the morning rush-hours.
• Male motorists need to pay extra attention towards their driving attitude.
The study showed that motorists who are 40 and above “are over-proportionally more involved in traffic accidents than younger motorists.” The age group 30-35 years old are also prone to accidents. Males are significantly more accident prone than females.
Edelmann listed down 5 vital tips and tricks:
1. Be aware of your own limitations.
2. Watch out for other traffic participants potentially under the same limitations.
3. Expect the unexpected – we all MUST drive defensively.
4. Plan your schedule properly and leave early to avoid the need of rushing and speeding.
5. Always wear your seat belt – Ramadan is a good time to start this habit!
Ramadan is a very special time and it’s all about being with the ones close to us. But this undoubtedly creates a lot of car traffic, posing unique challenges for road users.
The portal noted that the Ramadan specific lifestyle has physical effects on the human body, especially when coinciding with the hot summer season. Fasting can result in dehydration and low blood sugar, which in turn can limit attentiveness, concentration, vision and reaction. In addition to fasting, the unusual eating and sleeping patterns can cause fatigue, exhaustion, impatience and distraction.
The complete list of Ramadan related Tips & Tricks can be found on http://www.roadsafetyuae.com/ramadan/.
In addition to i-Insured, RoadSafetyUAE partners are the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Ministry of Education, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Dubai Health Authority, Michelin, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Al-Futtaim Honda, Volvo, Al Ghandi Auto (Chevrolet – GMC), MAN Trucks, ENOC AutoPro, Caltex, Careem, dubizzle, Deliveroo, Johnson&Johnson, Serco, MiXTelematics, WABCO, JustKidding, STS, Osram, Safety Media, Arab Wheels, AETOS Wire and more to join soon. (AETOSWire)
