(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The rising number of international studies cautioning against the risks of using the mobile phone while driving prompts us to muster support towards educating the public about the potential driving hazards.
Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has called up on community members to recognise the risks of using mobile phones while driving and has cautioned against ignoring recommendations made by traffic research centres.
Engineer Hussain Al Banna Director of Traffic RTA Traffic & Roads Agency said: “The rising number of international studies cautioning against the risks of using the mobile phone while driving prompts us to muster support towards educating the public about the potential driving hazards.
“The Traffic Department is guided by the approved traffic safety strategy of the RTA based on a host of key aspects including running a number of well-prepared and systematic traffic awareness campaigns and programmes to sensitise community members about the current traffic issues and raise the traffic safety levels in Dubai.”
A recent study commissioned by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute concluded that 80 per cent of crashes relate to drivers who lost concentration in the last two or three seconds before the crash he said. “Making a telephone call that takes five seconds translates into covering a distance of 130 metres by a vehicle traveling at a speed of 95km/h. And drivers who experience traffic accidents while busy with the mobile phone cannot recollect how such accidents took place. They can’t figure out what actually happened or how the accident occurred as they were busy with the phone and therefore couldn’t avoid or weren’t attentive to the underlying cause” he said.
“Some studies indicate that those using mobile phone during driving experience a 50 per cent drop in their ability to react compared to those not using it and the potential of involvement in a crash multiplies five times when the drive starts making a call via the mobile phone even if using hands free devices” he said.
“Japan Singapore and Portugal are amongst countries imposing blanket prohibition of the use of mobile phones during driving even if with the assistance of technological gadgets. Other countries such as Britain Australia Belgium Denmark and Switzerland allow the use of the mobile phone during driving provided through wireless headsets or accessories fitted to vehicles as is the case here in the UAE” said Al Banna.
— newskhaleejtimes.com