Licensed to kill? Child Ferrari drivers headed for a road near you
Ayesha Al Khoori | March 21, 2013
EDITOR’S NOTE: Ayesha Al Khoori ‘s blog post has proven one of the most controversial ever, with numerous comments and tweets critical of her attitude to fast driving and driver safety. Of course, our blogs – unlike reported and edited stories – reflect the views of the reporters but not necessarily the policies or opinions of The National and its editors. For the past four years The National has led a road to safety campaign to highlight the issues with the UAE’s dangerous roads and driving, championing tougher enforcement of speeding laws. While Ayesha’s comments reflect the vantage point of young Emiratis to driving; many readers missed the fundamental point that fast cars and younger drivers are a terrible mixture. Like her progression as a journalist, her blog reflects the start of a journey into understanding the challenges in effecting change. Please keep your comments coming.
The Government is considering lowering the legal driving age so that under-18s can run family errands. Whether this is a step forward on the “Road to Safety” is hard to tell. My father always said “driving is a technique” and I agree. Age nor gender matter – it’s about knowing how to control yourself and your car.
Trusting young teenagers with the responsibility of driving may have a positive effect on some, but it will reinforce the bad behaviour of others.
I began driving long before I got my licence, as did many young people I know. If I could go back in time and drive legally as a teenager, I would go crazy and speed my way across every road and through every junction until my tank ran dry. Of course, others might react differently.
At 22, I have been driving legally for the past four years, which means in the eyes of some I’m a very experienced driver.
I still make mistakes, the proof of which is that I get more than five tickets a month (last year I accumulated Dh10,000, this year Dh3,000 and yes, I know that’s a lot), but I’m experienced in handling a car at speed.
When I got my first car, an old BMW, I would never exceed 80kph or 100kph and I would never drive after dark. Now, when I’m on the roads of Abu Dhabi, you could say I fly at all times! I try to not go over 160kph, but 180kph isn’t unheard of.
I drive fast because I love it. I feel liberated and excited; in a boring life the thrill of fast driving provides the drama I need to keep me going.
My nieces and nephews think I’m a great driver, and ask me to go as fast as I can. I am always in control though. I would never want to hurt them, so I must be careful and responsible even when I’m speeding.
It took me time to be confident enough to drive at the speeds I do, but is that the case for every other driver in Abu Dhabi? Perhaps some people have nurtured their speeding habits less cautiously than I have. Are some learners too quick to speed?
Contrary to what people might think, speeding isn’t the biggest cause of road accidents. In fact, it’s the opposite – slow drivers and overzealous brakers are to blame.
Cars on the highway should travel at a speed of between 80 to 120kph, yet what I saw during a year of driving along Musaffah Road to get to my university, was that some cars would be driving under the limit – sometimes as slowly as 50kph. Which is not only unsafe and ridiculous, it’s frustrating for the rest of us.
Some drivers hit the brakes over any little thing, whether there’s a dead cat in the road, they’re lost in the middle of nowhere, or simply because they’re unaware of their surroundings.
One of the major accidents I was involved in was when I was driving on Al Khaleej Al Arabi, doing a little more than 110kph, when the car in front of me stopped suddenly, causing me to crash into it and ruin my lovely new car’s bumper.
When the police arrived, I was blamed, even though the crash was clearly not my fault. Unbelievable!
This was just one of many ridiculous accidents I’ve seen in the past few years, a number of which I’ve been involved in.
I can’t help but think that many so-called “accidents” could be avoided if it weren’t for parents spoiling their children by giving them cars such as Lamborghinis and Ferraris as soon as they pass their test. What are the parents thinking?
Giving a teenager who just passed his test a flash car capable of 300kph is almost bound to result in an “accident”.
I love fast cars, yet when I see young men driving Ferraris and Lamborghinis I know they will not be able to handle the engine. This problem will only get worse if licences are extended to those who are under 18.
It may be the case that when it comes to teenage driving, it’s a case of going too fast, too young.
I think you will find that hitting the car in front of you, irrespective of them braking sharply, means the accident is your fault. The fact that you do not accept that shows the drivers ignorance of basic rules, 4ye driving does not equate to experience, if it did you would not have hot the car in front of yu, suggest you think about your speed and distance, as per the rules!
This is such an immature post. There’s no such thing as being responsible at high speeds. Just don’t speed. The wisdom in driving is to realise that there are a ton of variables behind events that can’t be accounted for, so the best option is to display reasonable and mature driving etiquette.
Sit down and calculate the required braking distance for the speeds you’re ‘flying’ at while accounting for reaction time…
It doesn’t make a difference whether someone is driving a ferrari or an ‘old bmw’ like you. Speed is speed.
You sound like Lenin: ‘One is a tragedy, many is a statistic’. Don’t try to throw numbers claiming that most accidents aren’t caused by speed. You should appreciate that one accident is more than enough.
The thrill of life..? Say that when you’re paralysed, or someone else is on their death bed, and a child is orphaned.
Shame on you for wasting thousands of dirhams on unnecessary tickets.
Kudos to the officer for putting you at fault for the accident. Clearly you haven’t learnt your lesson.
You have a strange attitude as to how one should drive responsibly. It is clear that the thought relating to caution does not enter your mind. When driving on a road, caution and awareness towards other road users should be your major thought. A car, especially at high speeds, is a dangerous object and this fact should always be kept in mind never mind whether you think you know what you doing.
You self-centredness is clearly shown by the accident you had when drove into the rear of another vehicle. You are not even aware of the accepted norm the world over that if you collide into the rear of a car in front of you, it is automatically considered your fault because you should drive with caution and note that the vehicle is driving at a slower speed than you.
Basically, it is known as consideration for other users of the road and you need to drive at a safe distance from the car in front of you in order to avoid an accident.
You need to change your attitude and drive considerately and safely and not think the road is there for your exclusive use.
I have read the blog post Licensed to kill? Child Ferrari drivers headed for a road near you (March 21) with interest. I had to read it twice as I thought there was a hint of sarcasm and satire that I somehow missed. Finally, I realised that there was none.
1. The writer admits to driving before she was legally allowed to. Many teenagers do this but she has just confessed to a crime if she was driving on a public road. I presume that the person who owned the car let her borrow it. If so, then he or she also broke the law.
2. Twenty-two is not an age when one can be classified as an experienced driver. In the western world insurance for 22-year-olds regardless of experience is proportionately high as they account for the majority of road accidents and deaths. I am not saying that she is a bad driver but most 22-year-olds I know think they are good drivers when they are not.
3. How is it possible to accumulate so many traffic violations? The only way this is possible is to be disrespectful for the rules of the road and other people’s lives. Traffic rules are not created to make revenue. Fines are supposed to stop people from violating the rules and make the roads safer.
4. It is very disturbing when she says that she “tries” not to go over 160kph. Does that mean she doesn’t have full control of her car?
5. If she needs to drive fast to feel “liberated” and “excited”, then she can go to a race track and drive fast in a safe and controlled environment. By doing otherwise, she is putting other people’s lives at risk. If someone is killed as a result of reckless driving, it will ruin many lives, including the culprit’s. Manslaughter is punishable by prison sentences.
6. Ayesha says she is comfortable driving at high speeds. However, its not the speed that causes accidents. Accidents are caused by external factors. Would she be comfortable driving at this pace when her tyre blows out or someone pulls out in front of her without looking?
7. I agree with the comment that speed doesn’t cause accidents but as my comment above mentions, it’s outside factors that cause accidents. It’s usually the difference in speed and direction of the vehicles that causes an accident. However, there is no difference between one who drives below the minimum speed limit and one who does above the maximum limit. Both are dangerous.
8. The writer mentions that she was blamed for an accident that wasn’t her fault. It worries me that she doesn’t see this as her fault. If she ended up running into the back of someone then she was either driving too close to that vehicle in question or she was not paying attention, or both. The person who hits from behind takes the blame. This rule is followed all over the world. The UAE is not an exception. She should have been taught this at the driving school.
9. Ayesha’s nieces and nephews may think she is a great driver and of course they want her to go faster. But she must realise that they are children and don’t understand that speeding is dangerous.
I apologise if my comments seem to be a bit of a scolding, but I think the fact that all this seems perfectly normal to her is worrying.
Such an article can land someone in court in many western countries.
The UAE has some of the most dangerous roads in the world and the attitude that “it won’t happen to me as I am a good driver” is scary.
Remember, if it can happen, it will happen. One just needs to reduce the odds of it happening and the severity of the outcome.
At the moment she is in the higher-probability bracket for it happening one day.
Is this some kind of joke? Is there a local equivalent of April fool’s day I’m not aware of?
there should be a ‘like’ button for this comment! Unfortunately there isn’t, i guess opinions like this show why UAE roads are some of the most dangerous in the world!
Most people don’t do the wrong thing because they think it’s the wrong thing, but because they believe it’s right. Going over 140 kph on any road is breaking the law, and the faster you are going the more damage and death you are going to cause when you have an accident, its a simple matter of physics. Maybe you wouldn’t have had the accident you wrote about if you maintained proper following distance and did not exceed the 100 kph posted limit. Please don’t use your platform here to justify speeding. It really is frightening to those of us trying to obey the law. By the way, I hope you have those young relatives of yours in seat belts, because most of the speeding drivers out there have toddlers who would fly through the wind shield in a crash. Why don’t you do some news work and ask a police officer how many children here are injured on the road, and you may just think about respecting the laws more!
It is people who drive too fast that cause crashes, I find it unbelievable that you’re trying to justify it in this article.
This article is so full of contradictions I don’t know where to begin.
You state you are an ‘experienced’ driver yet you have accumulated Dh3,000 in fine this year alone. Safety is not boring you know. Why do you think there is a speed limit? Do you really think speeds over 160kph are ok? Do you have any understanding of stopping distances? I doubt it and therefore your supposed ‘experience’ is non-existant.
Did you realise the UAE has 3 times higher the death rate as a result of a car crash for young people? Did you realise you are contributing to dangerous roads in the UAE?
This blog post is outrageous. You should re-examine your own driving habits before pointing out the faults of others. I have been legally driving since 16 years old…so I have quite a bit more driving experience than you and I have never driven at 160 kph, not because I can’t…because I won’t. Doing so puts my life and the lives of others at high risk.
You mention the lack of self-restraint on behalf of young drivers…well young lady, here’s a news flash: you are one of them. If you aren’t sure, the number of traffic fines and accidents for which you are to blame are clues to help make it obvious.
The most dangerous drivers on the road are not the over-cautious (although they may be annoying) it is people who are oblivious of their own dangerous driving habits.
This is quite possibly the most irresponsible article I have ever read. I can only assume it was run in error.
Your attitude and total disregard to road safety astounds me- quite honestly I am surprised your not taking your excellent opportunity at The National with more sensible blogging.
If you are behind the wheel of a car – you are responsible both for those several tonnes of metal and your passengers and part of that responsibilty is leaving a safe stopping distance between you and the car in front of you. You’ve been driving for all of 4 years and yet you have been in more than one major accident? Some of us have been driving in this country for over 25 years and have yet to be involved in one major accident.
Grow up and recognise that you have a responsibilty to yourself, your family and to other road users.
I am shaking my head …………”I was doing a little more than 110 on Khaleej Al Arabi when the driver in front of me stopped suddenly……………..it was clearly not my fault.” OMG. So if the driver in front of her stopped to avoid hitting something on the road , or it there was a mechanical failure, or a child on the road – WHAT WOULD SHE HAVE DONE? This woman does NOT understand “defensive driving.” Even if you are in control of your vehicle, you CANNOT CONTROL CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND YOU. I hope, hope, hope that she is reading these comments, because if she doesn’t stop, it is highly likely that at some point in her driving life, she will cause an accident that does far more than harm her “lovely bumper.”
I am shaking my head ………..”I was doing a little more than 110 on Khaleej Al Arabi when the driver in front of me stopped suddenly……………..it was clearly not my fault.” So if the driver stopped to avoid hitting something on the road, or if there was a mechanical failure, or a child on the road – what would she have done? We must understand “defensive driving.” Even if you are in control of your vehicle, you cannot control circumstances around you. I hope, hope, hope that she is reading these comments, because if she doesn’t stop, it is highly likely that at some point in her driving life, she will cause an accident that does far more than harm her “lovely bumper.”
I am appalled by this article.
But your speed IS cause of your accidents. You do not have enough time left to react and respond safely to what other drivers on the road are doing! From what I gather from this story, you also do not leave enough room between your car and the car in front of you. You are a very, very dangerous driver and should be more aware of the risks you take and the risks you put others in! Hopefully your nieces and nephews are at least wearing their seatbelts when they are in the car with you. Please, please, please think twice before you drive at such speeds.
Speed kills known fact. If you had been going at 80 kph and at a 3 car length behind the car in front you may have been able to brake in time. It’s not only the speed you go at its how close you are to the car in front it’s called breaking length. The length of time driving and how many accidents you have in that time does not make you a good safe driver it’s being aware what’s around you 360 degs. To brag about the amount of fines you have shows how unaware you really are. Safe driving
This is ridiculous and irresponsible to publish. I am disappointed.
So, having admitted that you drove illegally before getting your licence you then go on to brag about getting 5 tickets a month, to driving fast for a thrill because your life is boring and being involved in multiple major accidents !! If the car in front stops and you are driving at that speed you will hit them – completely your fault for failing to understand braking distances. And worse still is that you admit to speeding when you have someone else’s children in your car. Road safety is such a major issue here with speeding and texting whilst driving two of the biggest causes of accidents. I hope I never have to share a road with her.
I’m sorry, but I’m appalled this even got to be published. Driving for 4 years in NO WAY makes you an experienced driver! You speed, you get fines, you’re a DANGER to other road users.
So when you are driving at “..over 160kph, but 180kph isn’t unheard of” to feel.. “feel liberated and excited” what do you do when there is someone in front of you driving at the speed limit?
The fact that you hit a car from behind and dont understand why you were blamed for it shows how little you know of traffic laws and road etiquette. Please get off the streets immediately and dont come back before you have taken a few driving lessons.
I dont understand what the point of the article is? Are you for or against lowering the age? You seem to drive recklessly yourself (10K fines and speeding up to 180km) so are you suggesting that it’s OK for others to do the same?
Only Allah can protect us against such recklessness and disregard for others. God have mercy on my family and I, and other innocents from such careless behaviour. Have a safe day.
What an odd article… a journalist proclaiming fast driving. You could just drive the way your supposed to, then there would be not accidents.
Please examine the UAE stats for road deaths. They are horrendous and not caused by people driving under the speed limit. At 22 you can ‘ handle speed…. ‘ ? Physics would dictate otherwise. I child hit by a speeding car may survive at 30mph… At 40mph they will not. End of life, end of story and possibly food for thought for a 22 year old journalist as she speeds around town. Please stop. Immediately.
What an unbelievable thing to do in a country with such high number of road deaths. The same day you published a story about a footballer urging youths not to speed. Staggering.
I would really like you to go back and consider what you just wrote please, as I truely wish nobody would be taking that as inspiration. So you believe you are an experienced driver at handling a vehicle at speed, and at the same time you rear ended a chap while doing above 110kph? Experience would have told you to leave a safety distance between bumpers at that sort of speed. On the other hand, let me assure you one thing: speed DOES kill. While going slower than speed limits would suggest or sudden braking might get you into accidents, it is overspeeding thatvwill get you into the most shocking and fatal ones. Want proof? Go spend the next 24 hours at your nearest hospital’s emergency and count how many are seriously injured because of speeding vs those of sudden braking. We are living in a young country with ambitious plans to build and distinguish itself from other nations, and if we continue to lose our local young working force on the streets like this this task won’t be easy. I take from what you wrote that you study in a university. Please focus on your studies, have a clear vision for your career, and start paying back what this country has invested in you. Please pass the word to your fellow friends who encourage you to speed.
One more thing. You think am a 63 year old man? Think again. I am a 27 year old petrol head who owned a few V8s along his way
It is attitudes like this that kill people. If u hit a car from behind IT IS YOUR FAULT. You should be travelling at a safe distance to stop suddenly if the need arises.
If you are not able to stop when the car in front of you brakes, is because you are not keeping the safety distance. So it IS your fault. And it is like that in every single case.
The fact that you are overspeeding is also a main reason for the accident, because if you need to stop you will require a longer distance to do so.
Saying that overspeeding is not a main reason for accidents is just irresponsible. It might not be the reason of every accident, but it has a great impact in the outcome of the same. It is not the same a crash @ 100kph or a 180….
I’m baffled by your pride in announcing the amount of speeding fines you have received. You claim to be a responsible driver but you drive at excessive speeds with passengers in the car. If you want to drive at 180kph, go to the race tracks. It’s the arrogance of “I’m a good driver and I know what I’m doing” that can put your life and others’ in jeopardy.
This is ridiculous. The simple fact that the writer has been in a number of accidents demonstrates her inability to understand safe driving. If you crash in the back of someone it is clearly your fault as you were too close, too fast and too slow on the breaks! I agree there are different levels of drivers on the road in terms of experience and skill, but those with perceived greater skill must drive in a manner that is safe for those with perceived less! Always drive so that you can stop suddenly if needed, keep your distance (2 Second rule). Tailgating is never needed and is extremely dangerous! I agree with her that speed alone is not the cause of accidents but stupidity is, this includes driving fast right up behind someone and flashing your lights.
Please invest, immediately, in a years worth of Bus tickets.
Ayesha, I think you are a good budding writer. However, part of being a good writer is carefully choosing the context and content of the subject. Here you have demonstrated bad judgement. You just need to look on twitter to see the annoyance this piece has caused. Some comments are harsh, some are fair.
Please take more time to read your articles from the views of your readers – The mother on a school run, a driver new to the country, young people who drive incredibly powerful 4×4′s and don’t necessarily have the maturity to acknowledge the consequences of their actions.
It’s all fun until someone gets hurt, or killed.
Continue to grow as a writer/journalist, and please drive safely, especially when children are in the car.
Unbelievable! The car should be impounded. I feel very sad for you. Try travelling the world? Read books? Paint, write.
I support the author in everything she said. Speed does not kill. Being inattentive kills. Being overly scared kills. Being overly defensive on the road kills.
Those who slam the breaks for absolutely no reason; or those who slam their brakes a mile before the traffic light; those people cause accidents.
People who drive at 60kph on the passing lane of the highway, thus blocking all chances of passing for other cars, THOSE cause accidents. Drivers who insist on texting/talking and driving without being able to actually focus on the road kill.
But if you are driving on the left lane, at a steady speed, whether it is 120 or 180, with your eyes firmly on the road, and the lane is clear, then there is simply NO way to cause an accident.
I am a speedy driver. Yes, I have racked up more tickets than the author; but in my 12 years of driving I have caused 1 minor accident; the police weren’t even called in, that’s how minor it was.
How do I do it? I keep my eyes on the road.
Frankly, truly experienced drivers wouldn’t boast of how great it feels to speed. In the UAE and anywhere else, defensive driving skills are quite necessary. THAT is what makes an experienced driver. Boast about a clean record. Bloggers having an opinion is fine, but what kind of a reaction do you expect when the reader base doesn’t find the complete disregard for the law amusing?
I cannot believe the arrogance on display here?
I can’t comprehend the inability of some people to realize they are the ones at fault, and automatically blame others without looking at themselves. As most comments above, you run into the back of someone, you were too close, period. The writer states the police’s thoughts on the crash as ‘Unbelievable’? The police were 100% correct!
The story also serves to disprove and clearly contradict the writers own feelings that she is a good driver. You are not a good driver if you are having numerous crashes and speeding fines. you are a good driver if you go through life with no accidents, no speeding fines, and most importantly not being the cause of other peoples accident.
‘I try to not go over 160kph, but 180kph isn’t unheard of.’
This statement is wonderful, a written and publicly documented admission of guilt to regularly breaking the law, and on occasion not even by a few km’s here and there, but by at least 30%. Justification and sufficient evidence for the police to take action?
If you think about it, this post is very effective. It tries to say that driving age should not be lowered. Well dear, you are convincing everyone that in fact, it should be raised to well above 22!
Dear Ayesha,
You clearly are a danger to yourself, your nieces and nephews, the rest of your family, and the rest of the drivers that may come on your path. I truly hope that your reckless driving is not the cause of an accident where yourself, your nieces and nephews, or someone else gets hurt as it only takes one tiny mistake for a driver to become a grave 000danger.
If you are bored, may I suggest you try other safer activities such as sprint running an skydiving? There is absolutely no excuse to endanger others in your pursuit for excitement and adrenaline.
Please, please tell me this article was a tongue-in-cheek?
This country already suffers the bane of careless drivers. Sheikh Zayed road was once, I believe, on an international list of the 10 most dangerous roads in the world. I have lived in the UAE for 24 years and first acquired my drivers license here 12 years ago before my own country’s. I have lost friends and family to reckless drivers with the same sort of attitude. The very fact that you condone dangerous driving is what is wrong with the article regardless of what you think of the age limit. There is no reason, no reason whatsoever to justify any of your actions or those of your peers as any type of responsible driving, and the fact that local drivers are for most part the most spoiled on the road but get away with the least amount of punishment, may ensure that, should this law pass, many people may choose never drive in this country again.
I love thrills, and I still believe driving is thrilling — on a test track, or in a clearly enforced rally circuit.
Public roads are what their name designates them to be: roads made for you and me to get from point A to point B, because thrill is in the destination. Safely. Not in the journey getting there. So, again, let’s get this one right: the thrills of rally driving belong to a rally circuit. The consideration for others’ lives (and our own, lest we harbour a death wish) belongs to civilised community driving. We shouldn’t mistake one for the other – I know, I used to be a rally fast driver on the circuits, not on public roads.
Sometimes people need to stop.
The rules of the road are that you give yourself enough space, so that you can stop, if they suddenly stop.
They suddenly stopped. You hit them. You didn’t stop in time. You couldn’t stop in time.
You didn’t take the necessary precautions to stop in time. You were going too fast to stop in time. Now your blog post is up all over the world, being forwarded on Facebook walls.
You’ve changed your blog after all the criticism. Clearly you’ve rethought your stance. I am so angry by this reckless, arrogant and thoughtless blog.
I used to have a beautiful friend at school. He was good looking, really smart,musical, top of his classes, super talented, and he had the whole world ahead of him. The night before a big Engineering exam, he decided to go for a blast on his motorbike, to clear his head after months of cramming. What he didn’t count on, sadly, was the idiot in a 911 who decided that lane markings weren’t meant for him, and overtook the person in front of him, who was doing the speed limit. Now my friend spends his days in restraints, in a wheelchair, having the drool wiped from his mouth, is doubly incontinent, his parents divorced because of the strain of looking after him, his mother went grey almost overnight, and all because someone with the same mindset decided to go for a drive in their powerful car.
I had so many things to say to this article. Then I read the comments, which aptly convey everything I need to say.
Then the Editor’s Note read: “While Ayesha’s comments reflect the vantage point of young Emiratis to driving; many readers missed the fundamental point that fast cars and younger drivers are a terrible mixture.”
No. We definitely get the point. You’re missing the irony of your statement.
Is this a joke? It’s people like this that cause the horrific accidents we see on a daily basis. Absolutely disgraceful.
Haha, this is some top quality trolling! Just pressing every single button for expats to jump up and down!
Excellent effort, young lady
What a disgraceful article.
The writer clearly does not understand how to use cars – and the immense consequences if they are misused or taken for granted.
This paragraph made me very sad: “I drive fast because I love it. I feel liberated and excited; in a boring life the thrill of fast driving provides the drama I need to keep me going.” How can a 22-year-old in good health and in a good position in life possibly be So bored that speeding creates the necessary “drama”. She wants drama? Why doesn’t she volunteer in a burn unit for an afternoon? That should give her brain something to think about.
I love driving fast, and am a good driver. You know what I did? At about your age, I became a member of the Porsche Club of America. Track driving/racing. It was amazing.
But it really isn’t about the driving, is it? She needs to find something that excites her, and that makes her feel in control. I suggest she looks inside herself for what can make her feel this way.
It’s necessary to be good to oneself, and to society. I know she is better than what she does and say here.
Make us proud, my dear.
This is one absurd article I have ever read.
People that think like that article implies are one of the reasons we have chaos on the roads.
Thrill of life? Sign up for a race-track if you want some thrills and speed. There is more pain, suffering and trauma than thrill by speeding on the roads as you are closer to getting yourself or others killed. Plus, the best race drivers on earth crash, so please drop the ego and stop bragging about how a great driver you are as obviously you don’t know what driving is from the first place.
Regardless of the point that we, the readers seem to have missed, the young lady has admitted to committing criminal offenses and putting lives of other motorists at grave risk. Your kind counsel and guidance of this young lady may help in sparking the change that you hope to create with your road safety campaign. And as they say, clean your own yard first before asking others to clean theirs.
You need many more writing lessons as well as a full year of supervised driving. A journalist needs to be able to present evidence in a clear and logical manner and draw a reasonable conclusion, even when blogging. The only conclusion I can draw based on your post is that the driving age should be increased to 30.
Please put a large sign with your name on it on your car when you are driving so that I know to stay away from you.
I’m guessing you’re aiming for F1 next year on the Abu Dhabi Roads. A very contradictory blog post, not something you’d expect from a National Newspaper.
When I developed this so called driving “technique” it was at a track where I paid for extra classes. I’m 26 now; even on a track I’m a rookie, and guess what even on the track we have a speed limit for corners and flats just like a road. If you have no discipline on the road then even a track wont do you justice, so you should burn your drivers license.
I’m not scared of getting fines or speeding either, I’m scared of taking someones life who wasn’t at fault and ofcourse of people like you who consider themselves experienced drivers at 22.
This seems more like a promotion for speeding. Also just so you know you can speed in Yaris too, you dont need a Ferrari to slam into another car at 160.
I’m totally waiting for the guys at Pan Arabian Enquirer to come out and say “You’ve all just been punked” – alas, sadly – this isn’t a satire site. It’s a responsible news publication, being a bit less than that. I sincerely hope the young lady decides to review her outlook on driving with a bit more rationale.
Reading this makes me angry. Many people think they have their cars under control when speeding. Putting young kids behind a steering wheel (and most likely behind a brand new 500 HP vehicle) will cause even more deaths on these already dangerous roads.
I am from Germany and I grew up driving on Autobahns with virtually no speed limits. But we drive with both hands on our steering wheel and concentrate what happens in front of us. Here fathers often play with their babies while driving, text, watch DVDs and even driving only with a front camera.
People in this region need to get into the habit of cautions driving.
And one more thing: if you hit a driver from behind it is always your fault. If you wouldn’t have driven 180km/h you may have had enough time to stop.
But as always….it’s always someone else’s fault
As a female Emirati, who is 22 years old -just like you- I am completely and utterly disappointed.
This blog perfectly demonstrates that it would be utter madness the reduce the legal driving age.
I find it interesting that the many drivers we have on our roads with the same mindset as Ayesha Al Khoori are not on cheering her on and supporting the rubbish she has written. I think her next blog should be about how texting and talking on the phone whilst driving is also ok – imagine what an uproar that will create. And we need uproar because looking at the statistics, nothing else has worked so far.
What did i just read ?! controversial article ? this just plain amateur and stupid!!
People like you are the main reason for accidents, i hope you get your license revoked, because someone like you shouldn’t be driving.
Am really surprised by the quality of material The National allows to be posted !
Just to clarify, does the writer realise that fines are actually supposed to act as a deterrent and not to be seen as another ‘expense’ to drive here???
This is a truly worrying article, and is what gives young drivers a bad name.
I don’t even drive and I can tell how this attitude is incredibly naive and puts other road users lives in jeopardy.
To be perfectly honest, this is ridiculous and idiotic
As a Father of two I’m scared to my bones reading this, plus the fact I spend 2+ hours each day on the roads here. What if this is a shared outlook on the issue!! Just past weekend, I had to pullover witnessing a horrific accident and desperately calling passersby’s to call medics (not carrying my phone). The blood, the pain-sheer agony that this man were going through… …I just helplessly watched and prayed that he makes it through. With the medics arriving and not knowing his fate thereon, I plead Please “There are babies expecting their parents to come back home” please keep this in mind just when ‘life’s ‘boredom’ compels you for driving thrills!!
SERIOUSLY!! I can’t believe what I just read. Your licence should be revoked until further notice.
A very confused piece of writing. Ms Khoori started driving before she got a license – not something anyone in the world, least of all UAE, would recommend. She likes speeding and indulges in it all the time; but she doesn’t want teenagers to be allowed to drive because they will drive recklessly. She blames drivers for braking to save a cat on the road – doesn’t she know that all living things are to be treated with care and respect? She claims she has the car under control even at high speeds, then how come her ‘control’ cannot avoid hitting the car in front of her when it brakes suddenly? Clearly, Ms Khoori has proved that she is the leader of the pack of inexperienced drivers with a license.
The fact that you think your hitting a car from behind was not your fault shows that you have absolute no understanding of how to drive. please google safe breaking distances as you were obviously not taught this during your driving lessons. What if there had been a child in the back of that car just like there is one in the back of mine?
My friend was hit by an irresponsible driver last week and her four year old has been traumatised by it having bad dreams and terrified to go in the car. But things like that don’t matter as long as irresponsible drivers are getting a thrill.
Anticipating what might happen and planning safe actions to counter those events are crucial to safe driving.
To anticipate an event is to expect the event to happen, reducing the chances being surprised and unprepared for it. Gather all early information you can by constantly scanning the areas ahead, behind and to the side of you.
WORD OF ADVICE ABOUT YOUR DRIVING YOUNG LADY! AND DO PLEASE KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND MY CAR IF YOU SEE ME DRIVING IN FRONT OF YOU…
An effective blog post gets a reaction.
A very effective blog post gets reactions like this one.
Of course, that only works if the readers actually accept the bait….
What a confusing article! What you need to know is that road accidents are responsible for nearly 70% of injury related deaths amongst Emirati youth. The UAE roads are amongst the most dangerous in the world due to reckless driving, speeding or as you say ‘flying at all times’ is one of the causes as the driver is not in control. No matter how good a driver you are, it is easy to lose control of the steering wheel when speeding. Please show your nieces and nephews what a responsible person you are rather than how fast you can drive.
Dear Ayesha.
Please slow down in order to live and let live. If you need more freedom in your life perhaps you can take up a sport or hobby that does not risk lives.
I truly hope this never happens to another young person again.
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/us-teen-who-died-in-abu-dhabi-lamborghini-blaze-named
I would suggest the blogger interview those who have lost their loved ones because of someone who shares her speeding habit.
Apparently there are no laws in this country to address speeders like yourself who accumulate so many speeding tickets? In the United States you would have had your license and insurance revoked and if caught driving without same, go to jail.
I agree with the person who said you needed to go to a hospital trauma center for the night – you should do so and REPORT what you saw from folks who were in car crashes. It’s not pretty and would hopefully scare you straight so to speak.
Lastly, do not drive with children in your car. You are obviously a high-risk driver and not mature enough to know when to slow down.
Most people in this country does not know how to drive, they just know where the acelerator pedal is…
I think this is the most irresponsibly appalling article I have ever had the displeasure of reading. I cannot believe it was ever sanctioned to be published. Whilst it may be the opinion of the author and not the National, some discretion should have been used that it is wholly irresponsible to publish it. I will not be reading this blog any more, I wish the author well in her ambition to become a journalist.
The rest of the world is attampting to increase the driving age here we seem to have the opposite. This is yet another example of dissconnect from the reality and wishfull thinking. First get people to obey basic driving rules and more unmarked and marked police car enforcing the road rules.
You are in a position where people read your opinions, being given this position from such a big newspaper is a huge responsibility to say the least.
There are a myriad ways of approaching and getting a message across … attracting knee-jerk reactions is not one of them.
Life is a collection of phases, use each one well and with wisdom.
All you guys out here, criticizing and whining about Ayesha\’s attitude, you all need to STOP driving.
Her message was brutally honest, She shared something with the entire country in clear words compared to what all of us just assume and talk about between people.
She\’s BOLD. And yes I completely agree with her point on the cause of accidents. 55-60% of the accidents occur because of the driver in front, either braking like they got a seizure or turning like they are flying a Plane.
Learn to see the positive side of this.
Reality cannot be changed unless spoken freely.
I agree with most of the responses to the article, except where it’s pointed out that crashes are caused by “external factors.” This is simply not true, just as speeding is never the cause of a crash. Statistically 95% of crashes involve a significant contribution from a human being, meaning a decision made by a person to speed, talk on the phone, allow themselves to become distracted, not have their car maintained correctly etc can be found to be the root cause. When we read that speeding caused the accident and injury / death, that is only defining the immediate cause.
I hope this blog post was intended as satire. If not then you are a hazard on the road and if i could i would take your license away and shred it . And may i request that dont take you newphews and nieces along with you?
I have been driving for 15 years and barely consider myself experienced. 3 of these years have been in Abu Dhabi. My traffic fines: 0. My road accidents: 0. Is there a connection here?
I was so infuriated at this adolescent post! Especially when she says she drives fast because she has a boring life! Nothing like avoidable tragedy, death, or serious injury to spice up the dull life.
Reading the Editor’s Note at the top of this blog, I would put it to The National that it was not the readers who “missed the fundamental point that fast cars and younger drivers are a terrible mixture.” It is Ayesha who missed the point completely by displaying her immaturity by going completely off topic to express her own views on speeding. `The blog contradicts itself.