Testing all drivers will do nothing to improve road safety. Educating, not testing, is what's required (Test all drivers on UAE rules, April 29).
Robust awareness campaigns to educate all drivers – current and especially future drivers – on the rules of the road, the importance of patience and courtesy in achieving greater road safety will make a difference.
Campaigns and signs urging slower drivers to keep to the right, use left lanes only for overtaking, criminalising the use of mobile devices are obvious first steps that would make a huge difference to drivers who care, who pay attention, who want to drive safely.
Others who insist on being inconsiderate and unsafe should be pulled over by the police. Consistent deterrents combined with strong awareness campaigns are needed, not universal testing.
Name withheld by request
Should road rules be enforced more? Driver behaviour is atrocious at best, but authorities enforcing road rules would go a long way.
The problem is, there are more than 200 nationalities in this country, each with their own concept of driving rules and conditions/ etiquette. The UAE needs to establish a unique driving etiquette and socially acceptable behaviour.
In Australia for example, everyone knows you stop at a pedestrian crossing, no one would ever drive through a pedestrian crossing without giving way to pedestrians, because it’s not socially acceptable. The same applies with using indicators when turning. Here no one cares about pedestrians and hardly anyone indicates.
If there were more targeted RTA campaigns to educate people on etiquette and socially acceptable behaviour, then maybe road conditions would be much better.
John Pravalos, Dubai
If you think that driving rules in your country are much better than in the UAE, or if you think that you are the best drivers in the world, then prove it. Take the driving test. I think there is nothing to be afraid of.
Richard Gatmen, Dubai
Parents’ role is crucial
In reference to the article UAE culture of storytelling can leave students 'unprepared for higher education' (April 12), this may also be a result of people's misconception that the home help is a replacement for parental time and attention outside school hours.
The adage “educate a mother and you educate a family” underlines the need for education input from parents. One shouldn’t expect this function to fall on the shoulders of domestic workers since they often don’t have fluency in the host family’s language or English.
Timothy John Holmes, Dubai
Students are ill prepared for rigorous study at all levels. Reading is not part of the culture.
Name withheld by request
Ideal way to address debt
The stories of how people get into debt, why they take credit cards and loans and spend the money on things they don't need are very old (Addressing the rising tide of personal indebtedness in the UAE, April 30). The way to tackle these issues is to continue creating awareness and educating people on why debt is not a good move if they are unable to service it.
Companies should invest in debt workshops for all employees, especially new recruits so they are aware of the dire consequences.
An ideal approach to this issue would be to create a panel of people who have succeeded in becoming debt-free as they would be able to identify with the emotional problems of people with high amounts of debt and help them.
Citing research and statistics is not the solution.
Name withheld by request
