Driven to Distraction

So Bob Farrow writing in Seven days reckons that speed is the root of all the evil that is Dubai driving.

Wrong, wrong and wrong again.

It is not speed that kills, not here and in 95% of cases not anywhere. Speed makes accidents worse yeah that point can be made, but rarely is pure speed the cause. This assertion is simplistic nonsense that does not take into account the realities of any road situation.

Well what are the causes: stupidity, recklessness, inattention, impatience, ignorance, rudeness and inappropriate speed. (to name a few)
Now all these traits can happen below, at, or in some cases above the speed limit at that particular place and time.

How does speeding affect red light jumping (see stupidity, recklessness, impatience)
How does speeding affect hard shoulder driving (as above)
Tailgating?
Aggressive driving, cutting up, forcing into queues?
Weaving across 4 lanes to gain one car's length?
Drink driving?
Falling asleep or passing out from lack of food?
Driving from the outside lane to try and make an exit across 5 lanes of moving traffic?
Indicating then driving as if surrounded by a force field?
Driving on the phone?
Driving in a car full of unsecured kids and other distractions?
Driving with feet on dash or with seat so low you can't see out?
Or with windows so black you can't see out?
Or so slowly in the outer lanes of a highway as to make an effective roadblock?
Or not understanding the rules or practicalities of a roundabout or lane merge?
Pulling out into traffic without looking or more likely without caring?
Reckless pedestrians?
Bikes cycling the wrong way on a main road?
Dangerous overloaded, unlicensed, trucks and cars?
Oil spills and debris on road?
Industrial machinery on highways?

etc etc
Every person in Dubai could add to this list.

But the point is that every one of these offenses can, and is, done at 40, 60, 80, 100 or 120k, all below the speed limit and in most cases well below.

Now in all these cases it is argued that speed causes the accident, it doesn't, it is the inappropriate application of speed that causes situations that can lead to accidents coupled with all traits listed above. We have all seen many many accidents that happen in slow traffic.

The inevitable conclusion of saying that speed is all that kills, is that in order to have no accidents you, and everyone else, has to be stationary.

Since this is clearly nonsense we have to look at how we can remove the other traits which would leave us with considerate,safe drivers that could make good use of one of the best road systems in the world, instead of turning them into the carnage we see today.

Now I have said it before and at the risk of boring you, will say it again, we need police patrols on the road to police the traffic, not just answer the call of the inevitable results of lawlessness.

Until every driver in this country fears that they could be pulled to the side of the road by a marked or unmarked cop car we will not even get close to making the roads safe, or rather safer since I am at least a realist, unlike young Bob.

Off for a week now.