Lost souls on the Highway of life

As an Emirati I have lost a friend or more due to road accidents.  When an Emirati hears the news of his friend’s death, the first question that springs to mind is: did he die from a car accident or an illness?  If the answer was a car accident then yes, you would see a sad face –  but you would not see any anger or shock about this tragic news.  Regrettably, it would come as no surprise.

The UAE Ministry of Interior released data that shows road accidents have killed 5,514 people in the UAE over the past six years (2006 to 2011).  In 2011 alone, 6,700 accidents, 7,808 injuries and 720 deaths were reported: an average of more than two people killed every day.  Abu Dhabi emerges as the main culprit, with road accidents killing 2,124, accounting for nearly 38 per cent of the total road casualties over six years.

A day does not pass by without reading in the local newspapers about a valuable soul lost due to a road accident. Last week all of us read the news of a terrible road accident that claimed 24 souls, when a truck laden with sand and gravel collided with a bus carrying 46 Asian migrant workers in the oasis city  of Al-Ain.

24 souls are lost at one go, which means 24 families have lost a loved one who is an important source of income for the family, and a loss of souls that could help develop the nation.

Finding solutions to this problem is not an easy job.  It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack since the UAE is a home to more than 180 nationalities.  However, I would look into the matter from a UAE eye, since it is claimed that a high percentage of car accidents are committed by Emirates.  And the word on the street, too, is that Emiratis like to drive fast.

I asked a couple of my friends why they needed to drive fast.  Most  answered: to get there on time. This led me to the second question:  how many minutes do you save by driving fast?  The answer is a  few minutes only and a maximum of 10 minutes.  

If you are only going to save few minutes why drive fast?  I believe the issue is not driving fast but how you plan your activities.  As for myself,  the only time I really plan is when it is related to my work or my annual vacation.  Going from one point to another is a matter of on the spot planning, a spur of the moment decision for most of us after a long day at work: we get home, a friend calls to meet in a coffee shop and off you go.

If a lack of planning does not justify why locals love driving fast, then what does? In my modest view I believe it is culturally rooted.  Some believe that since they are Emiratis then they own the street.  Plus they believe they are the best drivers on planet Earth.  And to demonstrate to the world that they are talented drivers they drive “metal to the peddle” all the time, breaking the speed limit and not permitting a single car to be in front of them.  Every car on the highway should move to the other lane and the highway is their new racing track.

Of course they forget the simple fact that they are using a mechanical engine to get to such speed.  And of course they forget that if they lose control of the beast terrible things will happen.  They could lose the ability to stand upright as a normal human beings.  They might have to live with lifetime disabilities.   And they forget that it is not only their life but other souls on the highway as well. All that just to feel the rush of speed.  If you don’t value your own soul then why exterminate other souls in your path?

Having a value on your own soul translates to treasuring life.  Having dreams and goals that we would love to achieve gives us such a value.  For example, knowing that you have an important role in developing your nation means that losing a young soul will be a loss to the nation as a whole.

In my view introducing this concept to our youth at an early stage would have a great impact. It will be a tool that they can use all the time to review their actions, to think about the outcomes – not only in regard to road safety but in all aspects of life.  By embedding this important thought the new generation will act responsibly.  They will think before they do.

And wouldn’t that make a nice surprise.