UAE drivers safer than Qatar's

Good Morning,

well that is not to difficult considering that in the UAE most drivers are moving milllimetre for millmetre and in permanent traffic jams, there is no space for real driving there

i
had a Qatari yesterday almost run me and my 9 month pregnant wife off the
road.  he got upset because I didn’t
recklessly drive into a round-about cutting everyone off, then got stuck behind
me for about 1 block while I was “only” doing 80 kph on a one lane road (the
second lane was shut down for construction). 
When the road opened up to 2 lanes, he came up next to me, cut me off
and slammed on the brakes – luckily I reacted quickly or we would have slammed
into him.  it’s heart-warming to know
that there are people in the world who think nothing of putting unborn children
at risk because not everyone drives fast enough for their liking.  no doubt this tool thinks he’s a good person
because he prays every day.

what
disgusts me more than what happened is that for many there is nothing
wrong with this kind of behaviour on the road.

money
can buy all the expensive cars, jewels, and toys in the world, but it can’t buy
class and civility.

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"Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day." Withnail & I

I used to drive the Dubai/ Al Ain road every day, there is a fair amount of traffic on it plus the extension of the Sheikh Zeyad Road going to Abu Dhabi is well frequented and also have serious accidents such as a recent accident involving 5 cars where all the injured die.

However, the survey may be right, but it is dificult to put UAE against Qataris because there are many other nations here driving and causing horrific accidents too.

I think the study is geared towards drivers conduct and proficiency

===================================== http://www.qatarlivi...

UAE motorists behave better on the roads than their Qatari counterparts.

Seems rather general to me.

I think Bahrain has the best drivers (comparatively). Ofcourse of late with the influence of all the saudi's, kuwaiti's and qatari's who throng into Bahrain - their habits are rubbing on to the Bahraini's. It is become a curse to drive in Dubai – people cut you off – perfectly understandable because of the crazy traffic out there. I too was run off the road for completely no fault of mine the first time I was in qatar. My only fault was that I honked that guy cause he completely didn’t see my car (small hired car and not a landcruiser) while I was already in the round-about. That was a year and a half back and I’ve learnt from that. Just give way – it ain’t my country. I had one Qatari friend of mine tell me – these traffic laws are just for the expatriates. That sums it all. Have you come across a whole bunch of guys stalling traffic with their hazard lights on while one of them do doughnuts on the MAIN roads. Where da cops?

I learnt about tailgating and middle lane left/right turn in qatar!! 

I completely agree for that

i was in dubai for 3 years and i came here only 4 months

really the drivers here they don't know any thing regarding for rules

specially at the round about, they think they should change the lane in the round about each one meter

i really want to know if there are schools here to teach driving rules, and if yes why nobody go there

it is ok to do mistake, but it is big mistake to insist to do the same mistake and you know it is mistake

I think Iran takes the cake in perfect driving, driving in Tehran is like walking over a trapeze rope lol.

Unruly driving is common mostly among the drivers who have been trained here locally, exapt or local. I think it has to a lot with the quality of training available.

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape!

The study does not talk about Qatari Drivers. It talks about Qatar motorists since it is comparing them to UAE motorists

===================================== http://www.qatarlivi...

i advise everyone that can buy a hummer to go for it... this is the only way to keep these guys from running you over. if i could buy a monster truck here, i would . trust me... withnail, pls look after your unborn child

, because out here, no one cares until God forbid an accident happens and someone dies. then you see everone stopping and slowing down to sympathise with you ... drive smart out there and God be with everone that drives well and to those of you that still drive recklessly, you shall all get whats coming to you.....time will tell...

Any driver is safer than Qatar drivers.

May be you can say , but we heard that the busy roads will make your life miserable in dubai.

As for the attitude, that comes with this country. As an expat we have no rights here. No rights to vote or get things our way. This surely ain't my country.

The labour law is archaic - exit visas, restriction on moving from co's, sponsorship laws etc.  

That said we are taking and accepting (no choice) these risks while earning our living in this country. Thats why is say "Just give way" to these guys - keep cool and composed and believe me we'll all have a great day. By honking at these guys and getting run off the road all you'll do is work yourself up and give your wife a lot of tension and stress (surely not required)

Soon Doha will become like Dubai (bumper to bumper traffic). Then you'll have even more traffic problems and even more crazy drivers :-)  - locals and expatriates - all in a hurry to get somewhere

As for vehicles - only Landcruisers give you that power to defend yourself. Anything else are just "mobile speedbreakers" - DO NOT DARE HONK - least you'll annoy Mr.Landcruiser. Forget the small SUV's.

So just enjoy the awesome weather we have now, make our money while we can and just get the **** outta here....

Have a great day...got lots of work to get completed before the weekend.........

Alona i seriously know how depressing it feels to fail the driving test! i felt the same way coz u make just ONE mistake and you have to take the test again. Thankfully second time was the charm for me so dont give up :)

Where there is Fire...There is Coke. Where there is Rum..There is Smoke - Sir Smoke-a-Lot

This is a recurring theme in QL: Qataris in Landcruisers.

The landcruiser has always been a popular car here since we never had (and still don't have) "usuable" roads... The new roads they make have sewerage manholes protruding at least 4cm... All roads have parts that are "being worked on", even if we don't see anybody working.

If I could avoid the traffic by going off-road, I will, that also means less traffic for those on the road :) .

P.S. I'm a Qatari in a white LandCruiser. 

let me tell you, after living in many other parts of the world, the driving here is bad.  Most cars speeding down the road WAY over the speed limit around 6-11 pm are the white landcruisers guys.  Thats just the way it is.  I have heard some people tell me (Qataris) that driving is sport to them.  Great, but sport usually involves willing participants, not me and my 9 month son who are constantly put at risk.  Doha has a very high accident rate, from what I've heard one of the highest in the world.  Its not just the Qataris for sure, there are definitely others out there!!!  How about everyone just slow down. 

The Manchester Driver Behaviour Questionnaire, which measures self-reported driving style... maybe the qataris were more honest?

The questionnaire has 24 checkboxes that similar to these:

• Attempt to drive away from traffic lights in third gear
• Become impatient with a slow driver in an outer lane and overtake on the inside
• Drive especially close to the car in front as a signal to its driver to go faster or get out of the way
• Forget where you left your car in the car park
• Underestimate the speed of an oncoming vehicle when overtaking
• Attempt to overtake someone you hadn't noticed signalling to turn right
• Cross a junction when the lights had already turned red against you
• Hit something when reversing you had not seen
• Get involved in unofficial races with other drivers

I hate driving in dubai, if you leave >3m between you and the car in front of you, somebody suddenly/immediately takes that space.

Usually drivers tend to violate the law. If possible. We drive and follow the system prevailing in the country we live. Personally the way I drive in Qatar differs from the way I drive in UAE or Oman or Lebanon. It takes us few minutes to understand the driving system and the extent of discipline applied in the country and abide by it.

===================================== http://www.qatarlivi...

'UAE motorists behave better on the roads than their Qatari counterparts.'

 i have lived in the uae for 13 years and can attest to the correctness of the statement above.

first thing i noticed on the road when i arrived here in doha in 2001 is the horrible way motorists use the round-abouts.

motorists use the outer lanes of round-abouts here to park their vehicles. they dont do it in the uae,it's against the traffic law and for obvious reasons.

motorists here wait for their turn inside the round-abouts instead of waiting from the designated solid line just outside of it.

motorists here tends to speed up on approaching the round-abouts instead of slowing down

filtering lines here(no idea if some motorists here know what im talking about) are treated as a joke. 

i have had far too many road nearmisses (lost count already) here in doha in my 6 years of stay here than in the 13 years of my stay in uae (can count them with my fingers no joke).

bottom line, the uae motorists (dubai in particular)are better trained than their counterparts here in doha

money can buy all the expensive cars, jewels, and toys in the world, but it can’t buy class and civility.

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And reckless driving can buy no respect.  

Thank God you are safe

===================================== http://www.qatarlivi...

It's not that bad....

is it? :p

Driving here specially on the highways is crazy. People flashing lights, tail gating. Coming from side lane without any indicators. Buses going at 120k

This list is endless but whatever the other drivers do stay calm and cool and if the others are in a hurry to go to hell let them join their brothers/sisters. I have even seen veiled women flashing lights and tail gating and speeding in land cruisers.

.. a friend of mine copied a snippet from an e-mail she sent them about her visit here:

"The roads, during the day, are a nightmare - rather
like the  States on a bad day.  I don't blame J and B for opting for a
driver instead of driving themselves.  It seems a much better
solution.  They are both very laid back - perhaps that's the
reason."

She may have something there!  'Laid back' cos we don't have the terror and strain on the nerves of driving ourselves around! ... easier to cling to the driver and scream when HE screams.   :D

.. every time another car cuts us up, I look at DDK (driver) and ask what nationality he thinks the other driver is ..... he giggles if I suggest another nationality other than Qatari, cos he KNOWS it wasn't a Qatari, that's why!

Could be sometimes a local, but more often than not it isn't. 

 Your comment is very telling. If locals don't see a problem then the situation is very depressing indeed and unlikely to change very much.

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.
-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

You seem to have missed the entire point about tail gating and flashing headlights. Doing that is DANGEROUS it unnerves the driver of the car in front and possibly could cause them to lose their concentration and thus an accident occurs. More so if they are panicked into swerving into another lane because of the incessant flashing from the tail gating vehicle!

This happened to me in the UK once. It was at night and on a motorway I was in the fast lane overtaking a line of traffice when this car shot up behind me flashing his lights at me to get out of the way. It simply wasn't possible for me to safely merge into the centre lane due to the traffice there. Because it was night time, his lights were blinding me in my rear view mirror. I was spitting blood - absolutely furious that he had put me and my family in such danger.

Further down the road, after the incident, I saw his car in a Petrol Station so I pulled in, walked over to his car and tapped on the window. He was a middle aged man driving a Porsche with a young blonde female in the passenger seat. Go figure! (showing off eh?)

Since I was also young and blonde, at that time, he rolled his window down all smiles to ask what I wanted to say. I was in mid-flow of telling him EXACTLY what I had to say when his expression changed and he rolled the window up with some haste and drove off.

only in Qatar do people drive like idiots , no common sense at all constantly beeping their bloody horns , i simply dont bother anymore especially when i have my children in my car ill will simply not put them in danger because of their STUPIDITY and thats all there is to it, tough luck if they in a hurry because you will usually catch up with them at the next set of lights or round-about  , they don't have the mental capacity to judge things either , like i have said before the people who have taught these reckless drivers have no clue themselves and until somebody teaches you how to do it right the first time this STUPIDITY  will continue , again this morning yet another accident along airport road involving three cars along a straight road , how do they manage this is beyond me ,if this place wants seriously be on the world stage (olympics, sports, etc) they will have problems with any vistors coming here , is this the sort of image people want to take home? ignorance is no excuse , Why dont they have  reward program for drivers ,or better still introduce insurance premuims everytime you have an accident ,tell you what works back home when it starts to hurt the hip pocket you will think a lot more when you go for a drive!  

Here's a little story from my Bahraini friend who lived in Dubai.

He was driving 100 on a main road and had this mercedes tailgate him.

He wasn't able to move because there cars to his right.

So he maintained his speed (the speed limit)

The guy flashed and honked, and before he had any chance to move, the guy actually started to bump his car! My friend swirved out of the way and immediately went to a nearby police station.

The police caught the Emiratee within an hour and was fined and charged.

On a side note, I think that the Dubai taxis are insane, the way that the line's don't seem to exist to them is funny :P

/-a-t-/NC, yes you are right ONLY in Qatar do we have idiot drivers. No where else in the world. You are the wisest of all humans. //ends sarcasm

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Click here for Qatar info

My friend's daughter went to a driving school here in Qatar.   She already had a license from the states, but since she was under 18 was required to get a new license here.     On the first day she was yelled at by her instructor because she stopped at a stop sign.   The instructor told her she should have just slowed down a little and kept on going.   If these kind of idiots are the ones teaching the driving lessons there is no hope.

we dont have driving instructors in Qatar ... will u get a DI with what they pay as salary no wonder we have all monkeys masquerading as DI

hmm