I have been away from the UAE for the best part of a month and hadn’t driven on its roads for five weeks. But I have been doing nothing but driving during my sojourns to the United Kingdom and the United States, visiting family using a rental car and test-driving a new Rolls-Royce on the vast, open roads of Nevada.
Over the years, I have been easily capable of switching from left to right, depending on which side the steering wheel is located, so the danger of me immediately exiting my building in Dubai Marina into oncoming traffic isn’t an issue. But still, my first drive after returning, running errands and attending meetings, was one of the most nerve-racking I have experienced.
The problem was that while I had been driving overseas, I had quickly adjusted to the local conditions and habits of other drivers. In the UK, motorways rarely have more than three lanes for traffic and the national speed limit is a strictly enforced 70mph (113kph), so there’s little option but to toe the line, which means easing off with one’s right foot. The rural roads I spent most of my holiday on were often narrow with poor visibility, too, making for a more sedate pace than we’re used to here.
In the US, speed limits are even more draconian and even more strictly enforced. Depending on which state you break traffic laws in, you could easily end up spending a couple of nights in jail, even for what we might consider minor indiscretions. So most people drive sensibly, and again, there’s little option but to do the same.
As you might imagine, my own driving habits were quickly reset – and that’s where my problems here came to light.
Within seconds of joining the traffic on a particularly busy weekday morning, other motorists cut me up. Another wove around me as I was exiting the E11, almost causing a serious collision, while everyone else seemed to be doing breakneck speeds. As my day progressed, the situation only got worse, with new roadworks having popped up during my absence. Yet nobody appears to ease off their throttle, no matter what.
Amazingly, I managed to get back to my apartment with both myself and my car still in one piece. I felt completely alien out there, like a total amateur, yet deep down I knew what was required to make my next journey more manageable.
My next journey, in the evening of the same day, was much more like it. I sped up, kept with the flow and forced myself to be more alert. It was more akin to playing a video game than the driving I had become used to in other lands, and while stress levels were still high, I felt less vulnerable by being a worse, more selfish driver.
One thing I really enjoyed about driving overseas for extended periods of time was the more relaxed pace. I love thrashing a sports car along mountain roads as much as the next person, but whenever all you’re doing is getting from A-to-B, usually there’s no need to rush. And if we’re to significantly reduce the death toll on our roads here, we need to change our ways.
Human nature being what it is, we will need our collective hands to be forced – and that means the law getting even tougher on speeding. In the US, Europe and Australasia, the punishments for breaking speed limits are so severe that most drivers simply do not dare to push their luck. The results speak for themselves – it’s high time we slowed things down here. Better late than dead on time, as the saying goes.
motoring@thenational.ae
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Company%20Profile
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'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
SPECS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.