Driving for long hours not an excuse for reckless driving

Dubai: For drivers working long hours on the road, it’s sometimes challenging to consistently follow traffic rules all day. But not for Abdullah Qutti Abdul Qader and Henry Roger Garde.

Both drivers were awarded on Tuesday along with eight other drivers as Dubai’s third batch of safest drivers under the Porsche RoadStar Campaign. They each received Dh1,000 prize money for being good examples of safe driving in the city.

Abdul Qader, an Indian big bus driver for five years, said he spends around nine hours on the road daily with breaks. Even though physical exhaustion can affect one’s driving, he said he never lets his guard down because he knows he is responsible for his passengers.

“We follow traffic rules as per our company policy. Our company is very strict and there’s no excuse not to follow rules because we have passengers,” Abdul Qader, 47, told Gulf News.

“The first mistake can merit a warning, but a second one can lead to termination,” he added.

What he thought was an embarrassing situation turned out all right.

“My bus was full with 68 tourists at that time. They were clueless when I was flagged by police. But, in the end, I was very happy. They all clapped when I was handed the reward.”

Another resident who spends most of his working hours on the road was also a winner on Tuesday. Filipino expatriate Garde works as a logistics assistant and delivers stationery to different companies every day. He said it is important to adhere to traffic rules to avoid unnecessary loss of lives or injuries caused by road accidents.

“We should be more patient and considerate as road users to avoid accidents,” Garde said.

Now in its 31st edition, the Porsche RoadStar will drive around Sharjah on Wednesday and Thursday to reward ten safe drivers who observe the basic principles of careful driving such as the use of indicators, seat belts and hands-free mobile phone kits.

Reference: http://gulfnews.com/